For Photographer Of Birds, A Spotlight On Beauty

from National Public Radio

Theodore Cross has spent the last 40 years watching and photographing birds — and water birds are his favorite. He says the water birds have a "courage and beauty" that outshines others. A collection of his photos and stories are collected in a book called Waterbirds.

"It's like a disease, I suppose," he tells NPR's Melissa Block. "Except for my family and friends, there are few things I care more about."

That love has taken Cross to four continents, from the Canadian Arctic to the Russian Far East tundra to Texas lagoons.

He says he's especially drawn to the birds known for incredible migrations.

"It's the courage of these guys that appeals to me tremendously," he says.

Broadcast Dates

• All Things Considered, December 15, 2009