title: An Instant Guide to Birds
author:  Mike Lambert 
description: <b>An Instant Guide to Birds</b> is an ideal compact identification guide to birds commonly seen in gardens, parks, on the seashore, and in the country. <br />This user-friendly guide assumes no previous knowledge: an easy-to-follow system of color-coded bands (denoting location) and symbols (denoting size) leads quickly to the correct section of the book. Detailed, full-color illustrations and a concise but informative text make it easy to identify positively nearly 200 North-American birds. "Lookalike" panels help prevent confusion between birds of similar appearance.
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  ![Cover](images/cover.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Slow Birds
  
  
    
  
  
  ### Ian Watson
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  "Slow Birds," by Ian Watson tells the story of a strangely idyllic world which
  is plagues by mysterious invaders. Dubbed "slow birds," because the
  cylindrical objects fly at the rate of only a few feet per minute, the
  artefacts are a complete mystery. Jason Babbidge's life is inexorably changed
  and linked to the slow birds when his brother, Daniel, climbs aboard a
  slowbird shortly before it disappears into the unknown. Watson's story deals
  with Jason's quest for his brother and later the revelation which comes to him
  as he climbs aboard a slow bird of his own.
  
  
  
  
  
  "Slow Birds" was nominated for the 1983 Nebula for best novelette.
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Ian Watson
  
  
  ## Slow Birds
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Ian Watson, a graduate of Oxford University, lives with his wife and daughter
  in North Hamptonshire, Great Britain. He has taught in Japan and Tanzania. His
  first science fiction n