Lost Among the Birds

Accidentally Finding Myself in One Very Big Year

By: Neil Hayward

Narrated by: Sam Devereaux

Early in 2013 Neil Hayward was at a crossroads. He didn't want to open a bakery or whatever else executives do when they quit a lucrative but unfulfilling job. He didn't want to think about his failed relationship with 'the one' or his potential for ruining a new relationship with 'the next one'. And he almost certainly didn't want to think about turning 40. And so instead he went birding.

Birding was a lifelong passion. It was only among the birds that Neil found a calm that had eluded him in the confusing world of humans. But this time he also found competition. His growing list of species reluctantly catapulted him into a Big Year - a race to find the most birds in one year. His peregrinations across 28 states and six provinces in search of exotic species took him to a hoarfrost-covered forest in Massachusetts to find a fieldfare; to Lake Havasu, Arizona, to see a rare Nutting's flycatcher; and to Vancouver for the red-flanked bluetail.

Neil's Big Year was as unplanned as it was accidental: It was the perfect distraction from life. Neil shocked the birding world by finding 749 species of bird and breaking the long-standing Big Year record. He also surprised himself: during his time among the hummingbirds, tanagers, and boobies, he found a renewed sense of confidence and hope about the world and his place in it.

©2016 Neil Hayward (P)2016 Audible, Ltd

Critic reviews

"Narrator Sam Devereaux flawlessly portrays transplanted Brit Neil Hayward, who gives up his lucrative biotechnology career to bird-watch and heal after a painful breakup. Devereaux's Hayward generously shares the thrill of bird-watching as he quietly hides in cold, wet bushes, awaiting the arrival of these most elusive creatures. With a count of 749 birds, Hayward breaks the American Birding Association's Big Year record. The most fun comes from Hayward's accent and wit, both delivered authentically by Devereaux. When Hayward travels with an array of American bird-watchers, Devereaux continues to present an impressive range of accents. Even non- bird-watchers will enjoy Hayward's musings on nature and life - both human and avian. Listeners will experience Hayward's joy as he regains his confidence and realizes that Gerri, his new girlfriend, is perfect for him." (AudioFile magazine)

Attention, birders!

How does birding effect you? Does the world think you're nuts because you a drawn to field guides, bins and feathers? THIS book is for YOU! LOVED IT!

Great Book!!!

A great book. It will make you want to go out and start birding and maybe end up doing a big year.

Absolute pleasure

If you could sum up Lost Among the Birds in three words, what would they be?

In this book we get to follow Neil Haywards birding Big Year. Being a birder, this the birding storyline is interesting and exciting, with good descriptions of birds and birding. The author avoids reducing the species to mere ticks on a list, but in a straight forward but engaging manner he manages to convey his love for birds.
Parallel to the birding story we get a vivid insight into the development of his personal crisis which centers around Gerri, his girlfriend.
What makes this audiobook so pleasurable is how beatifully these two stories are interwoven.
Sam Deveraux's performance is perfect.

An amazing tale of birds and life!

this was a great listen. the book is amazing and the narration is equally great making for a wonderful listen.

Birding through ones midlife crisis

I found the book enjoyable but it took me a few chapters to get into it.
#tagsgiving #sweepstakes

Very Interesting and Entertaining

I don't know come here from sic 'me about birds, and even after I finished this I don't get why the author would have put himself through what he did to see them, but I have to admit the book was very entertaining. The narrator was spot on. I loved it.

Entertaining and uplifting

Even as a birder, I was worried that a whole book about birding might get old. Instead, I found Neil to be funny, uplifting and honest with his exciting stories of life and birding. I rooted for him the whole time, and for his girlfriend a little more :)

Very well done

As a nearly life long birder and person who made that obsession into a career as a biologist, I was a little nervous about how interesting this book would be. I can say it grabbed me from the beginning and in the end I couldn’t stop listening. As a scientist, he has so much interesting details and if you are paying attention you will learn a lot. Beyond the birding stories, his description of his relationship and battles with inner demons made the book for me. As someone who always dreamed of a big year, I can’t tell you how much I want to take off on that adventure right now. Get the book and enjoy! You will not be sorry!

A sincere and delightful memoir

With summer winding down, I’ve been obsessed with trying to spot as many seasonal birds as possible before fall migration begins—so I thought Neil Hayward’s memoir of his "accidental big year" would be the perfect companion to keep me satisfied when I couldn’t be out there staring at the trees. A “big year,” for the uninitiated, is when a birder challenges themself to see as many bird species in one calendar year as possible. As the title explains, Neil reluctantly stumbled into his own after a midlife crisis in which he quit a joyless job, lost a long-time relationship, and found himself struggling with depression. I won't lie: this memoir is probably most enjoyable if you have at least a passing interest in birds, but it really is about so much more than that particular hobby; it’s about discovering the purpose and meaning in your life—in things (and birds) both big and small. Neil doesn’t narrate, but his proxy Sam Devereaux does an excellent job conveying the author’s delightfully wry British humor and infectious enthusiasm.

Taking time

A delightful coming of age book for 40 year olds. We all go through crises at differ times in our lives. This book walks through a man’s life & career crisis with grace and charm. A very nice read