Janet Hasselbring

Ruddy Janet Hasselbring

Imagine you're heading home to northern Maine from a vacation in Argentina. Suddenly the world shuts down. You have no technological devices (don't panic - I said "imagine"). You have no GPS, no maps, no road signs, no one to help you navigate. It's just you, your neurons, your instincts, your genome. What are your chances of finding your way home? Meet Ruddy and his fellow turnstones. Guided only by the stars, the moon, little crystals in their brains, polarized light, landmarks, and a keen sense of smell, they will fly from Patagonia, their winter home, to the Arctic mudflats, approximately 9000 miles. Follow this brave band of feathered "guided missiles" as they fling themselves into the air and start flapping. Hawks, exhaustion, dehydration, disease, satellite towers, storms, lack of feeding grounds - all pose dangers. Will Ruddy make it home? Will he be reunited with his shebird, who will arrive two weeks after him? Ruddy: Living on the Wind salutes the Migratory Bird Act of 1916 - 100 years of protected flight.