Novelist Amy Tan shares love of the natural world in 'Backyard Bird Chronicles'

This cover image released by Knopf shows 'The Backyard Bird Chronicles' by Amy Tan. Photo: AP

Birdwatching has become a cherished pastime for many since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, when people stuck at home for months looked out their windows for entertainment and immersed themselves into the natural world, many of them for the first time.

Best-selling novelist Amy Tan of The Joy Luck Club fame is among about 45 million Americans the US Fish & Wildlife Service has estimated are birders, with many investing seriously in their passion by purchasing birdseed and bird watching accessories.