Natural Wonders https://www.wdrt.org/series/natural-wonders/ In the summer of 1972, I wandered out of a newly rented farm house, looked up, and saw 2 red-tailed hawks soaring over woods and pasture. They were so beautiful, so other-worldly, I was overcome with a desire to know everything about them. Years later I became a wildlife rehabilitator and a falconer and was able to have close hands-on experience with them. Today that desire to learn about the natural world has only broadened and intensified. I'll read some of my favorite biologists' writings and occasionally include my own thoughts. Thu, 13 Aug 2026 16:22:39 +0000 en-US © 2022 WDRT In the summer of 1972, I wandered out of a newly rented farm house, looked up, and saw 2 red-tailed hawks soaring over woods and pasture. They were so beautiful, so other-worldly, I was overcome with a desire to know everything about them. Years later I became a wildlife rehabilitator and a falconer and was able to have close hands-on experience with them. Today that desire to learn about the natural world has only broadened and intensified. I'll read some of my favorite biologists' writings and occasionally include my own thoughts. WDRT episodic In the summer of 1972, I wandered out of a newly rented farm house, looked up, and saw 2 red-tailed hawks soaring over woods and pasture. They were so beautiful, so other-worldly, I was overcome with a desire to know everything about them. Years later I became a wildlife rehabilitator and a falconer and was able to have close hands-on experience with them. Today that desire to learn about the natural world has only broadened and intensified. I'll read some of my favorite biologists' writings and occasionally include my own thoughts. WDRT toconnor@wdrt.org false https://www.wdrt.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/natural-wonders-logo.png Natural Wonders https://www.wdrt.org/series/natural-wonders/ toconnor@wdrt.org In the summer of 1972, I wandered out of a newly rented farm house, looked up, and saw 2 red-tailed hawks soaring over woods and pasture. They were so beautiful, so other-worldly, I was overcome with a desire to know everything about them. Years later I became a wildlife rehabilitator and a falconer and was able to have close hands-on experience with them. Today that desire to learn about the natural world has only broadened and intensified. I'll read some of my favorite biologists' writings and occasionally include my own thoughts. No yes 4e7bd223-83fe-50e2-80b3-76dffb25bd52 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.4 59922426 August 11th, 2026 https://www.wdrt.org/2026/08/11/august-11th-2026/ Tue, 11 Aug 2026 11:36:45 +0000 ff26e234-2039-535f-98ad-09e6d5595b42 Carl Safina's book The View From Lazy Point holds today's reading. We travel with him to Southeast Alaska and learn about streams with  high concentrations of bears and salmon swimming uphill and eagles, all contributing to salmon ecology of the temperate rainforests of Alaska. 

"Defying gravity and all good sense, salmon flow uphill. From the heart of the ocean, salmon beat upstream and inland like flowing blood, until lodged in a thin film of water in a tiny tributary, each is a corpuscle in a capillary. This upstream influx, this invasion creates extra ordinary effects. Salmon are energy. They are matériel. Follow that thought uphill; the trees are made largely of salmon."

]]> Carl Safina's book The View From Lazy Point holds today's reading. We travel with him to Southeast Alaska and learn about streams with  high concentrations of bears and salmon swimming uphill and eagles, all contributing to salmon ecology of the temperate rainforests of Alaska. 

"Defying gravity and all good sense, salmon flow uphill. From the heart of the ocean, salmon beat upstream and inland like flowing blood, until lodged in a thin film of water in a tiny tributary, each is a corpuscle in a capillary. This upstream influx, this invasion creates extra ordinary effects. Salmon are energy. They are matériel. Follow that thought uphill; the trees are made largely of salmon."

]]> false no 00:23:35 No no August 4th, 2026 https://www.wdrt.org/2026/08/04/august-4th-2026/ Tue, 04 Aug 2026 12:31:18 +0000 7204f114-48b2-5554-88d9-0d12e99c5e09 More about prairie chicken research in the Central Sands of Wisconsin during the 40s and 50s; I'm reading parts of My Double Life; Memoirs of a Naturalist by Frances Hamerstrom; today the chapter  'Evolution of the Chicken Blind'. She and her husband Frederick were students of Aldo Leopold and pioneers in research on sharp-tailed grouse and many raptor species and prairie chickens. Luckily for us she wrote 10 books with great humor and style. 

]]> More about prairie chicken research in the Central Sands of Wisconsin during the 40s and 50s; I'm reading parts of My Double Life; Memoirs of a Naturalist by Frances Hamerstrom; today the chapter  'Evolution of the Chicken Blind'. She and her husband Frederick were students of Aldo Leopold and pioneers in research on sharp-tailed grouse and many raptor species and prairie chickens. Luckily for us she wrote 10 books with great humor and style. 

]]> false no 00:21:03 No no July 28th, 2026 https://www.wdrt.org/2026/07/28/july-28th-2026/ Tue, 28 Jul 2026 12:04:09 +0000 21a5dd73-4c57-538f-b2ea-111d0590c065 More adventures with the Hamerstroms; I'm reading from My Double Life; Memoirs of a Naturalist by Frances Hamerstrom. 

The focus today is the work they did feeding, housing and teaching  volunteers ('boomers') who arrived at their farm house each spring  to watch and document the mating activity of the prairie chickens. These boomers provided data to the research for decades. 

This is one of 10 books Fran wrote and they give insights into the hard work and ingenuity it took (and still takes) to be ground breaking wildlife researchers. They were students of Aldo Leopold. 

]]> More adventures with the Hamerstroms; I'm reading from My Double Life; Memoirs of a Naturalist by Frances Hamerstrom. 

The focus today is the work they did feeding, housing and teaching  volunteers ('boomers') who arrived at their farm house each spring  to watch and document the mating activity of the prairie chickens. These boomers provided data to the research for decades. 

This is one of 10 books Fran wrote and they give insights into the hard work and ingenuity it took (and still takes) to be ground breaking wildlife researchers. They were students of Aldo Leopold. 

]]> false no 00:24:39 No no July 21st, 2026 https://www.wdrt.org/2026/07/21/july-21st-2026/ Tue, 21 Jul 2026 12:38:30 +0000 9e648a39-3a2a-55cb-b058-9664c6154c77 I'm reading from one of the 10 books that Fran Hamerstrom authored, My Double Life, Memoirs of a Naturalist

It's been awhile since we've been on adventures with Fran. You can find my previous readings online under -podcasts -archives.  Great stories are always guaranteed to be found in her books. 

From the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame (wchf.org) about the Hamerstroms;

Married in 1931, the Hamerstroms forged one of the most remarkable wildlife ecology teams. Research fellows under Aldo Leopold, the Hamerstroms have become best known for their work with prairie chickens at the Central Wisconsin Game Project near Neenah and the Prairie Grouse Research Unit in Plainfield. Their work was the basis for the conservation effort which saved the prairie chicken from extirpation in Wisconsin.

Together and individually, the Hamerstrom published over 100 professional papers and many reviews of ornithological literature. Frances also published 10 books. Frederick was a highly skilled technical writer and editor. He edited the books that Fran wrote – the last one only two days before his death. He also edited technical papers for several journals and was the Principal Referee for Raptor Research.

]]> I'm reading from one of the 10 books that Fran Hamerstrom authored, My Double Life, Memoirs of a Naturalist

It's been awhile since we've been on adventures with Fran. You can find my previous readings online under -podcasts -archives.  Great stories are always guaranteed to be found in her books. 

From the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame (wchf.org) about the Hamerstroms;

Married in 1931, the Hamerstroms forged one of the most remarkable wildlife ecology teams. Research fellows under Aldo Leopold, the Hamerstroms have become best known for their work with prairie chickens at the Central Wisconsin Game Project near Neenah and the Prairie Grouse Research Unit in Plainfield. Their work was the basis for the conservation effort which saved the prairie chicken from extirpation in Wisconsin.

Together and individually, the Hamerstrom published over 100 professional papers and many reviews of ornithological literature. Frances also published 10 books. Frederick was a highly skilled technical writer and editor. He edited the books that Fran wrote – the last one only two days before his death. He also edited technical papers for several journals and was the Principal Referee for Raptor Research.

]]> false no 00:22:24 No no July 14th, 2026 https://www.wdrt.org/2026/07/14/july-14th-2026/ Tue, 14 Jul 2026 12:03:06 +0000 de4a082c-399c-5cd3-9629-aea11c1a1a67 I'm reading from the great book Amphibians and Reptiles of Wisconsin published in 2022 by The University of Wisconsin Press and edited by Joshua Kapfer and Donald Brown. It’s a comprehensive reference that covers all of Wisconsin’s frogs, toads, salamanders, skinks, lizards, snakes, and turtles, and it is a delight to read. I'll read selected parts of the chapter by Richard Sajdak about our grey rat snake. Commonly called the black rat snake, I’ll bet many of us have had encounters with this animal and it has a fascinating life that includes having favored home trees. This is one of the largest snakes we have in Wisconsin. They are calm snakes, and (once I get over the startle response,) they are beautiful! They only occupy a small part of Southwest Wisconsin. 

]]> I'm reading from the great book Amphibians and Reptiles of Wisconsin published in 2022 by The University of Wisconsin Press and edited by Joshua Kapfer and Donald Brown. It’s a comprehensive reference that covers all of Wisconsin’s frogs, toads, salamanders, skinks, lizards, snakes, and turtles, and it is a delight to read. I'll read selected parts of the chapter by Richard Sajdak about our grey rat snake. Commonly called the black rat snake, I’ll bet many of us have had encounters with this animal and it has a fascinating life that includes having favored home trees. This is one of the largest snakes we have in Wisconsin. They are calm snakes, and (once I get over the startle response,) they are beautiful! They only occupy a small part of Southwest Wisconsin. 

]]> false no 00:15:21 No no July 7th, 2026 https://www.wdrt.org/2026/07/07/july-7th-2026/ Tue, 07 Jul 2026 12:44:49 +0000 c6283f14-a902-5308-bfb1-35cbfa1284e5 We will delve into some of the mysteries of 2 bird species that nest late in the summer season, the cedar waxwing and the goldfinch. The cedar waxwing is one of the most beautiful birds we have, in an understated way. It sports the most amazing bright waxy tips on the ends of its secondaries. Both these birds go against many 'truisms' in the bird world.

]]> We will delve into some of the mysteries of 2 bird species that nest late in the summer season, the cedar waxwing and the goldfinch. The cedar waxwing is one of the most beautiful birds we have, in an understated way. It sports the most amazing bright waxy tips on the ends of its secondaries. Both these birds go against many 'truisms' in the bird world.

]]> false no 00:20:44 No no June 30th, 2026 https://www.wdrt.org/2026/06/30/june-30th-2026/ Tue, 30 Jun 2026 11:20:25 +0000 173b21fc-0203-58d1-bc60-027f137327a2 A rebroadcast of Exquisite Hours , an essay by Ken Lange, who died in November of 2024. Ken was, for 30 years, the naturalist at Devils Lake State Park, and dear friend to many. Of note, in this essay he refers to Loren Eiseley's great book, The Unexpected Universe, and a story about a small fox. 

]]> A rebroadcast of Exquisite Hours , an essay by Ken Lange, who died in November of 2024. Ken was, for 30 years, the naturalist at Devils Lake State Park, and dear friend to many. Of note, in this essay he refers to Loren Eiseley's great book, The Unexpected Universe, and a story about a small fox. 

]]> false no 00:17:11 No no June 23rd, 2026 https://www.wdrt.org/2026/06/23/june-23rd-2026/ Tue, 23 Jun 2026 12:03:52 +0000 421ec744-928b-5eba-ac5f-db062a762aa8 Going deer hunting this November? This is all about switching to lead-free ammunition and all the reasons why. You've got plenty of time to purchase some copper ammunition before November.

Radio interview, Dave Clausen DVM and Dr. Susan Davidson (high risk obstetrics physician) 

about 14 minutes. Thanks to WUWM Milwaukee 89.7FM

North American Lead-free Partnership

The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota

raptor.umn.edu

They have a great film, 'Lead It Go'

The Peregrine Fund

Peregrinefund.org

Sources of copper ammunition

Ammo.com

Remington.com

The Raptor Center list

A shorter interview with David Clausen DVM and Dr Susan Davidson

thanks to WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio.

]]> Going deer hunting this November? This is all about switching to lead-free ammunition and all the reasons why. You've got plenty of time to purchase some copper ammunition before November.

Radio interview, Dave Clausen DVM and Dr. Susan Davidson (high risk obstetrics physician) 

about 14 minutes. Thanks to WUWM Milwaukee 89.7FM

North American Lead-free Partnership

The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota

raptor.umn.edu

They have a great film, 'Lead It Go'

The Peregrine Fund

Peregrinefund.org

Sources of copper ammunition

Ammo.com

Remington.com

The Raptor Center list

A shorter interview with David Clausen DVM and Dr Susan Davidson

thanks to WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio.

]]> false no 00:22:10 No no June 16th, 2026 https://www.wdrt.org/2026/06/16/june-16th-2026/ Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:12:02 +0000 cbaca3c0-85a0-569e-81f2-bbffffd51810 Two fun topics today, how to build a simple effective turtle nest protector, something very important to have on hand even if you think you'll never need it.  The need is so great because the raccoon population is soaring and they love nothing more than to dig up freshly laid turtle eggs for a meal. It's a fun easy project. Check out turtlesfortomorrow.org for lots of information by Wisconsin's experts on turtles.

And have you ever wondered which woodpecker you hear drumming?  Here are nifty tips and audio about telling the difference between the downey and hairy, and the flicker, sapsucker and pileated are sounded out here too. After hearing and reading this from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, I think I can tell these birds by their drumming.!

]]> Two fun topics today, how to build a simple effective turtle nest protector, something very important to have on hand even if you think you'll never need it.  The need is so great because the raccoon population is soaring and they love nothing more than to dig up freshly laid turtle eggs for a meal. It's a fun easy project. Check out turtlesfortomorrow.org for lots of information by Wisconsin's experts on turtles.

And have you ever wondered which woodpecker you hear drumming?  Here are nifty tips and audio about telling the difference between the downey and hairy, and the flicker, sapsucker and pileated are sounded out here too. After hearing and reading this from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, I think I can tell these birds by their drumming.!

]]> false no 00:14:46 No no June 9th, 2026 https://www.wdrt.org/2026/06/09/june-9th-2026/ Tue, 09 Jun 2026 16:39:26 +0000 b362e4ca-e598-591b-af47-dcbf2599f57d The black-billed cuckoo and yellow-billed cuckoo are marvels of the bird world, I am besotted~! and then a fun way to enjoy bees in a pile of wood and rocks in your garden, bee hotels.

]]> The black-billed cuckoo and yellow-billed cuckoo are marvels of the bird world, I am besotted~! and then a fun way to enjoy bees in a pile of wood and rocks in your garden, bee hotels.

]]> false no 00:14:46 No no