A lifelong birder, tracker, and naturalist, Jon Young is guided in his work and teaching by three basic premises: the robin, junco, and other songbirds know everything important about their environment, be it backyard or forest; by tuning in to their vocalizations and behavior, we can acquire much of this wisdom for our own pleasure and benefit; and the birds' companion calls and warning alarms are just as important as their songs.

Birds are the sentries—and our key to understanding the world beyond our front door. Unwitting humans create a zone of disturbance that scatters wildlife. Respectful humans who heed the birds acquire an awareness that radically changes the dynamic. We are welcome in their habitat. The birds don't fly away. The larger animals don't race off. No longer hapless intruders, we now find, see, and engage the deer, the fox, the red-shouldered hawk—even the elusive, whispering wren.

Deep bird language is an ancient discipline perfected by Native peoples the world over. Finally, science is catching up. This groundbreaking book unites indigenous knowledge, the latest research, and the author's own experience of four decades in the field to lead us toward a deeper connection to the animals and, in the end, a deeper connection to ourselves.

猪麦最初作为游乐节目里的礼品来到了霍吉特的农场。这里的动物各司其职，坚守自己的岗位，猪麦只是其中不起眼的一员。
猪麦虽然显得笨头笨脑，却是心地善良，待人友善，渐渐受到各种动物的欢迎，高贵的牧羊犬更是对它关爱有加。牧羊犬夫妻Rex和Fly专司农场的羊群放养，Rex习惯用粗暴的方式对待它眼中愚蠢的羊群。猪麦为了证明自己的价值，向牧羊犬专心学起牧羊技术，不料从Rex那里学来的强硬招数却在羊群面前失了灵。幸好猪麦渐渐掌握了门道，技术进步迅速。
猪麦僭越本职的行为遭到了其他动物的不满，Rex也因为猪麦受到主人称赞而倍感生气。猪麦要去参加牧羊大赛啦！这事引来了众人嘲笑，却给了猪麦一个证明自己的机会。