The Daywatchers is a different type of Natural History book.  Unlike most that simply list the species and some interesting facts, Peter Parnall takes a much more personal view.  It is clear that he loves birds of prey, and he is an excellent illustrator.  He tells rambling stories about his experiences out in the wilds as he observes and interacts with these birds.  There is an air of life in both his descriptions and (most especially) in his drawings.

Now, I am not a fan of hawks and eagles.  I don't dislike them, I just don't have particularly strong feelings for birds -- never have.  However, when I read this, I could certainly appreciate that Mr. Parnall does, and they run deep.  It was fun to read about his experiences...

 However, it was also frustrating.  He is a passable writer, not an excellent one.  His skill is usually up to the task of writing in a rambling style, but not always.  To make matters worse (and I do not hold this against him), my copy is mis-bound, so you jump from page 15 to 57 to 34 to 43 to 29 etc etc etc.  This wouldn't be so bad, except that not every page is numbered.  The net effect of this is that of attempting to read a long rambling essay in the form of a Choose Your Own Adventure book... without the aid of page numbers.

 This challenge aside, the gorgeous line drawings more than make up for the confusion and make this book worth what I paid for it (which, as I picked it up used, was admittedly low).   Given that this book is out of print, I do not recommend purchase.  However, if you enjoy the birds of prey or if you appreciate well done and expressive black and white art, it's probably worth finding in a library or book sale.