421 - Sunrise Dancers
From Natural Connections by Emily Stone
April 9, 2026 · 6 min · Season 1 · Episode 421
About this episode
The episode captures the excitement of watching sharp-tailed grouse during their lekking ritual at dawn.
It was well before sunrise as we drove into the Namekagon Barrens Wildlife Area and parked the truck. Moving as silently as possible, we grabbed our chairs, a much needed thermos of coffee, and started the walk to the viewing blind, its white silhouette barely visible in the distance. Once to the blind, we crawled inside, set up our chairs, and unclipped the blinds windows. I stared out into the dark of the early morning, feelings of excitement and anticipation buzzing through me. Afterall, it's not everyday that I get the chance to watch sharp-tailed grouse dance on their lekking ground.
People in this episode
Host: Emily Stone
Topics covered
- wildlife
- birdwatching
- nature observation
- ecology
- outdoor activities
Keywords
- sharp-tailed grouse
- lekking
- birdwatching
- wildlife observation
- nature
- Namekagon Barrens
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Namekagon Barrens Wildlife Area
More episodes of Natural Connections
- 425 - The Trill of a Pine Warbler · May 7, 2026 · 6 min
- 424 - A Torrent of Mis-Named Birds · April 30, 2026 · 7 min
- 423 - A Shorebird in the Forest · April 23, 2026 · 7 min
- 422 - The Heron's Plan · April 16, 2026 · 6 min
- 420 - Spring Cleaning with Turkey Vultures · April 2, 2026 · 6 min
- 419 - Thrasher Concert · March 26, 2026 · 6 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Natural Connections podcast page.