A summer of Audubon The world does not lack for books about the work and travels of John James Audubon. There are plenty of books about him. Even his own journals have been published. But if you don't want to work your way through his entire life, a slim new book titled "Summer of Birds" (Louisiana State University, $26.95) offers a snapshot.

Author Danny Heitman has limited his book to the summer of 1821, when Audubon hired on as a tutor at Oakley Plantation in Louisiana. His only pupil was the daughter of the plantation owners, which left Audubon time to begin 23 of his famous bird paintings.

The recounting of that summer -- and the beautiful illustrations -- makes this book a gem.

Urban birding Do you remember Pale Male and his mate, the red-tailed hawks made famous when they nested in midtown Manhattan? That's due, in part, to Marie Winn's book about the hawks ("Red-tails in Love"), which helped propel the threatened hawks to fame.

Winn's latest book, "Central Park in the Dark" (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $25), is also set in Manhattan. But Winn manages to forge a connection between us and the very urban wildlife she watches at night.

Winn is one of us, a curious citizen wildlife-watcher. She weaves fact, observation and adventure into a book that celebrates wildlife after dark in the park -- or in your back yard.

Ivory-billed believers Finally, a book about the search for ivory-billed woodpeckers that points out that everyone can't be crazy. Everyone, in this case, is anyone who has ever mentioned seeing this supposedly extinct bird species.

In his new book, "Stalking the Ghost Bird" (Louisiana State University Press, $24.95), author Michael Steinberg just doesn't accept that hundreds of citizen sightings can be wrong.

Of course, I agree with him, and that does color my opinion of his book. But even nonbelievers will appreciate his crisp summary of search data from Louisiana, as well as other recent books on the subject.

Everything you didn't want to know about ticks Here's a book on a subject close to many a birder's heart -- or leg or thigh or neck: "A Field Guide to Ticks" (Falcon Guide, $16.95).

The book contains a very complete discussion of ticks, and the prevention and treatment of Lyme disease and other ailments caused by ticks, scorpions, spiders and mites. I read with particular interest the short section on ehrlichiosis, the tick-borne disease I had several years ago. Author Susan Carol Hauser nailed it perfectly.

The book is illustrated with some truly scary pictures and drawings. It's really informative; just don't read it while you're at the cabin.

Name that gull Identifying gulls is one of the more demanding challenges of birding. Gulls come in various combinations of black, white and gray, and their bills and legs offer only small clues to their identities. And between hatching and maturity, gulls molt into a confusing array of plumages.

That's why a book such as "Gulls of the Americas" (Houghton Mifflin, $35) comes in handy. Authors Steve N.G. Howell and Jon Dunn, two of the most knowledgeable field birders, use well-chosen photos and terse text to help you sort out the many gulls. If you're spending lots of time on the water this summer or are a serious birder, you might want to pick up this book.

JIM WILLIAMS