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

Reaching the end of Chapter 1 in John Burroughs's 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's, or Socialis's, 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.

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.

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:

• Scarlet Tanager
• Field Sparrow
• Great Crested Flycatcher
• Barn Swallow
• Chipping Sparrow
• Vesper Swallow
• American Robin
• Yellow-billed Cuckoo
• White-eyed Vireo
• Bobolink
• Hermit Thrush

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 John Burroughs in e-reader format at archive.org.