Wisconsin School of the Air; Afield with Ranger Mac; 7

The Wisconsin School of the air invites you to go on a field with Ranger Mack not to take you on another radio hike down a nature trail here is your guide ranger man. Hello boys and girls. This is your day. So up and away. There are certain things you do at this time in your life that will stick in memory like a bird in fuzzy world. Later on in life or word or a happening will spring the trigger that will bring them back in your memory and you can enjoy them over again. Memory years a great treasure house to store good things in the end this treasure house of boys and girls is one of the best things we older folks can do for you. I have a letter that illustrates this point. It is from an elderly lady who has been a trail here for many years. She writes a year broadcast every Monday morning is one of those I enjoyed the most as it carries me back to the woods and fields of my youth. At the end of the quote

These memories are the flowers of June in the winter of her life. One of the sports Ranger Matt used to enjoy as a boy was lying on his back to watch Fox as they circled round and round in the sky. They looked as though they were sailing at anchor. The boy would wonder what their purpose was sailing round and round these hawks are the tigers of the air. We're going to talk about today along with some other feathered tigers. Maybe we should not call them tigers and put among human beings a Tiger has a rather bad name. Ranger Mac does not want you to get a wrong impression that the stuff these birds are quite necessary in nature. They perform certain duties that help to keep a balance in the animal where lives. Maybe we should call them put it all ours are hunters and

birds of prey instead of tigers among our small birds the Shrike our butcher bird is a pendant to our it is a rather common bird and one is quite sure to find it. Whatever there are thorn apple trees he catches moles mice small birds and snakes. He has a peculiar habit of hanging his prey on corns sharp twigs or even on the barbs of wire paints. Maybe some of you have seen a mouse order or a sparrow impaled on a thorn and wondered how it ever got there. Well that's the way. No doubt. This is not a lovely way for birds to get their food but we must understand that all birds of prey get their food in a savage way. Their trade in life is killing but in doing this they are doing what they were put into the world to do

at their work it may be just as valuable in the world of nature as that of the birds who protect our archers in trees and gardens and sweeten life for us with their songs. Just as there are some birds to eat weed seeds and thumb to eat insects and to keep insects in check so nature has created the credit cards and the birds of prey to feed on the smaller animals rats mice gophers moles weasels and even birds themselves to keep these creatures in check. And so it is a savage were these hunters are called upon to do. It doesn't appeal to our finer feelings I know but we must remember. That they are only doing what they were put into the world to do a work that must be done in order to keep a balance among the creatures that multiply very rapidly.

So you get the picture. But urge to keep weeds in check. But urge to keep insects in check and birds to help keep rodents in check. The birds that help to keep rodents intact must be equipped to carry on the business of living a killing so all their beaks are strong curved my claws are hooked talons and that drive deep into the flesh of their prey. Their bodies are strapped with muscles that are strong and they have ferocious tempers that drive them to their tasks of killing their handsome birds and brave but heroes and unlovable. And then I have about 30 different kinds of birds of prey in Wisconsin. The list includes two kinds of eagles hawks owls fowl kittens Ospreys The Shrike and the Kingfisher all are protected by law in Wisconsin except the great horned

owls. This bird is the largest of the Owls most bold and bug and highly skillful and deadly and capturing game birds and songbirds. Once it is learned that it is easier to capture the farmer's chickens than to forage the fields and the woods. It becomes a terror to the poultry farmer so it has been seen fit not to protect this hour from the hunter's gun. The always business is to take care of the goalkeeper's mice rats and squirrels to see that they do not overrun the land. The Hawks do this by day. The owls by night Nature felt there was a need for two ships to take care of the fast breeding rodents. You see the owls are red quipped for Nate hunting. Their eyes are large and the pupils expand until they cover most of the eye and the eyes are fixed

in their sockets. So the neck is on a swivel allowing the head to turn at least half way around. Your openings are large and it is said an hour can hear a mouse because it can see it. The wing feathers are edged with down and which act as silence. So all the plate of bottles is noiseless as it must be to catch mice and rats. They capture their prey and by striking with their strong new sharp powerful cause and their hooked beaks are used to tear the flesh of the victim into pieces small enough to swallow. If the prey is small enough like a mouse it is swallowed whole. The parts that are indigestible like the fur bones and feathers are formed into a pellet in the stomach and vomited back vomit is not the right word to use in this

case but regurgitate a word you are supposed to look up before the broadcast. Now these pellets can be found beneath the roosting places of Owls and are sure indication of the kind of food eaten by the owls went on hikes with boys and girls. It is approaching at all is to discover these pellets and we sit down and examine them and find the remains and the remains. The most convincing proof that our souls are needed in Nature's scheme. Farmers are fortunate to have a barn owls and nesting about the place. They are great. These are Barn Owls are great mousers the screech owl the smallest of our OWLS is a double value to the farmer. Because it does not migrate and does its beneficial work both winter and summer. A pair of these screech owls nested in a hollow tree bordering a walk

in our neighborhood. I used to stand beneath the tree at night and enjoyed the frantic efforts of the owls to drive me away. They did this with every passer by and they would swoop down near the intruders head in an effort to scare the intruder away. The unaware became frightened and ducked out of the way and with peace. They knocked off hats. They scared the ladies particularly and the cause of this disturbance was reported to the city authorities and the birds were removed. So our wild friends have suffered down through the centuries even the middle. Ever since the Middle Ages our worlds have been regarded as birds of ill omen and pets of witches and companions of goblins. And this has not gone the cause of our Rose any good even though our song causes shivers to run up the backs

of some people off on or off the path that we see most commonly plying over our meadows and lowlands is the marsh hawk. It is especially it is easily recognized by the upper tail feathers and white rump. Their nest is on the ground and didn't ring the young as many as a thousand mice are destroyed during the nesting season. It isn't an entirely beneficial bird. A pair of them is estimated to be worth $20 to the farmer. I have never heard of a case of a marsh Hawk taking a chicken but there is no use telling boys and girls who live on farms that all hawks leave the chicken yard alone.

There is one hawk that is especially fond of chickens and doves. It is the Cooper's hawk. It will die into a par Minard like a bolt of lightning and carry all pretty young chicken while the farmer is standing nearby and do it with such swiftness are that there is hardly time to cock our gun let alone run to the house to get a gun. The lab provides that a farmer has the right to shoot hawks that do damage to his property and we and we do not what we want to be fair and not condemn all hawks because one is destructive. Any more than we would condemn all human beings because a few of them are destructive and commit acts of robbery. Ranger Mack told you at the beginning that birds of prey are equipped with savage instruments to carry on their business of killing and getting food. But nature is perfectly fair in this battlefield of the wild.

Whatever Spears she gives the predator are. She gives to the one who preyed on her the hawk cannot all have sharp eyes and sharp claws. But the rabbit is free to fart and knows how to hide the hawk can see the Gopher from the sky above but the gopher can see the Hawks shadow and hide in a barrel. So for every kind of attack nature has built up a defense. The animals that are weak. Those that are not alert those that are not cunning are taken. The weak are taken and the strong remain to build up a stronger race. This is nature's plan. The clock says it's time to call your attention to the broadcast of Nov. 19 in which he asked you to send the question on page 13 of the

teacher's manual. You will find some suggestions about thought you should give to the kind of question read this page and send in your questions. The sooner the better the chance of getting your question answered. So until we meet on the trail again next week. May your day full of happiness. May the Great Spirit put sunshine in your heart. Today on our heap much the familiar Indian fowle brings us to the end of another trip filled with Ranger Mack Ranger Mike will be back next week at the same time to be your guide for another radio trip down the nature trail. This is the Wisconsin School of the air. State stations will broadcast the latest markets and weather information in five minutes until the

end here as we call it music.