Return of the Birds

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If you're feeling shut in, shut down or shut out, let the birds carry you away. John Burroughs's Wake-Robin with premier bird vocalizations from the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology delivers something something truly delightful and wholly unexpected. A long-form, serialized audiobo…

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Jul 19, 2020 LATEST EPISODE
every other week NEW EPISODES
22m AVG DURATION
37 EPISODES
1 SEASONS

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Latest episodes from Return of the Birds

Second Edition Trailer

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2020 3:20

It’s the best time of the year. The parade begins. As Winter retreats Spring leans in. The birds are returning. And so is our show.

spring as winter john burroughs

Introduction: Presenting Live Birds and not just Stuffed and Labeled Specimens

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2020 19:29

Click the links below for details about the bird vocalizations used in this episode from the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Winter Wren Eastern Bluebird American Robin Intro music: Kai Engel Walking Barefoot on Grass Outro music: The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps: United States National Anthem (The Star...

macaulay library john burroughs cornell lab american robin eastern bluebird winter wren

Welcoming the Birds of March, April and May

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2020 21:15

Credits & Links: Click the links below for details about the bird vocalizations used in this episode from the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology American Robin Bluebird Phoebe bird Kingbird Northern Flicker 1 Northern Flicker 2 Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch Eastern Meadowlark Northern Bobwhite Ruffed Grouse Barn Swallow Greater Prairie Chicken Great Horned Owl...

credits macaulay library cornell lab bobolink wood thrush winter wren

Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoos, White-eyed Vireos, and a Side-by-Side Comparison of the Hermit Thrush and Wood Thrush Bird Songs

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 29, 2020 33:01

Naturalist John Burroughs quotes ‘To the Cuckoo’ by William Wordsworth. He considers in detail the White-eyed Vireo’s skilled mimicry in her mid-summer song and how it may rival the mockingbird’s own ability. Burroughs shares observations on how elevation might impact and effect the distribution of species in the Town of Highlands, New York. And concludes...

new york highlands cuckoo burroughs william wordsworth bobolink wood thrush vireo winter wren

John Burroughs Shares His Admiration for the Aristocratic Wood Thrush, Praise for the Soulful Veery, Some Criticism for the Catbird, and an Encounter with a Black Snake

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2020 14:27

Naturalist and gentleman rambler John Burroughs was born 183 years ago on April 3, 1837. We’re grateful to carry on his work. Continuing where we left off in episode 3, we pick up in the first chapter of his book Wake-Robin. John Burroughs focuses on the thrushes. He details the grace and ease of the Wood...

wood naturalist gray catbird john burroughs american robin wood thrush

The Scarlet Tanager and the Dog Days of August, and, Finally, the Silent End of the Season

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2020 13:24

Reaching the end of Chapter 1 in John Burroughs classic nature study, Wake Robin, the gentleman rambler describes the birds of July, the Scarlet Tanager, compares the Peewee’s hunting prowess and efficiency on the wing to the Chipping Sparrow, or Socialis fumbling pursuit of a month. The marvel and spectacle when the pigeon hawk, now known as a Merlin, unflinchingly chases a goldfinch. Concluding with the late season silence and August’s departures.

concluding reaching merlin pee wee barn swallow john burroughs american robin goldfinch

In the Hemlocks, a Guided Tour of a Primitive, Undisturbed Forest and the Avifauna Living There

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2020 22:37

The start of Wake-Robin, chapter 2, In the Hemlocks. Author and gentleman rambler, John Burroughs, begins a guided tour in the hemlocks. Years before, townsfolk, tanners, and lumbermen attempted in vain to tame and exploit the grove. But nature proved uncooperative and the effort abandoned. By his account, the spirit and energy of the wilderness...

gray catbird john burroughs american robin bobolink hemlocks eastern bluebird winter wren

Reverence for the Hermit Thrush, Disdain for the Kingbird and Pewee, and Banter with the Ovenbird

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2020 19:06

Nineteenth-century naturalist and essayist, John Burroughs gives a detailed account of the Hermit Thrush’s song. For him, it is the finest sound in nature; the peace and deep solemn joy only the finest souls may know. Strolling the undomesticated wilderness, greeted by the Wood Pewee and Eastern Kingbird. Documenting the curiosity and confidence of the Ovenbird.

strolling nineteenth documenting john burroughs

The Forenoon Chorus of Finches, Thrushes and Warblers

Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2020 27:38

This episode concludes the second chapter of Wake-Robin, by John Burroughs. Lounging on a couch of moss in the shady woods, the gentleman rambler and naturalist allows his attention to wander from species to species. He points out the the Ruby-throated Hummingbird and the song of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Scarlet Tanager. He marvels at...

hummingbird john burroughs grosbeak lounging

The Adirondacks

Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2020 26:19

The start of chapter three of Wake-Robin by naturalist, John Burroughs. Burroughs and a group of fishing companions depart for the Boreas Reach near Lake Placid, New York. Burroughs demonstrates his skill as a trout fisherman, earning the respect of their guide. Hunting at night on an open lake, the starlight reflected in the center...

new york hunting lake placid burroughs john burroughs

The Lower and Upper Ironworks and the Abandoned Town, Tahawus

Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2020 22:15

The second half of the third Chapter, the Adirondacks. Continuing with a timeless bit of bird therapy, Burroughs wakes from a nap in the woods to find himself under scrutiny of the wood birds. Visiting Lake Sanford, fishing in Nate’s Pond and a 12 mile hike to the Lower Ironworks with views of Mount Mercy,...

pond burroughs adirondacks

Birds’ Nests, Part 1

Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2020 31:15

Beginning Chapter 4 of Wake-Robin, by naturalist John Burroughs. A detailed look at the nesting habits of Red-headed Woodpeckers, Yellow-bellied Woodpeckers, Pine Siskins, Cedar Waxwings, Robins and Indigo Buntings. Burroughs marvels at the dirty jobs parent birds must endure to keep their nests clean for their young. Any parent who has changed a dirty diaper...

robins yellow burroughs john burroughs woodpeckers

Birds’ Nests, Part 2

Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2020 30:35

The Creative Commons and public domain contains a wealth of images, music and more. The images used in these show notes link back to the contributors. Intro music: Kai Engel Walking Barefoot on Grass Outro music: The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps: United States National Anthem (The Star Spangled Banner) Download Wake-Robin by...

Chapter 7 of Wake-Robin, by naturalist John Burroughs. The Creative Commons and public domain contains a wealth of images, music and more. The images used in these show notes link back to the contributors. Intro music: Kai Engel Walking Barefoot on Grass Outro music: The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps: United...

john burroughs

The Invitation

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2020 26:52

The final chapter of John Burrough’s book, Wake-Robin. Burroughs invites you to become a birder, describing the thrill of seeing the natural world around you through a new lens. The Creative Commons and public domain contains a wealth of images, music and more. The images used in these show notes link back to the contributors. Intro music:...

burroughs

An Invitation, Part 2

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2020 26:00