Pet Dish

May 1, 2008

Enjoy a daily radio bird bath

By Lisa Wogan

NWsource pets columnist

If you listen to KPLU [1] (88.5 FM) in the morning, you know all about the nature oasis at 8:58 a.m. If you don't, set your alarm. Backed by sounds such as chirping Barn Swallows and the drilling of a Williamson's Sapsucker, the honey-voiced Frank Corrado [2] narrates two-minute digests about wild birds. The BirdNote [3] vignettes are packed with intriguing tidbits served up with surprising poetry.

You can track down other stations at www.birdnote.org [4] or listen to missed notes at the BirdNote archive [5], but I don't suggest seeking them out. I prefer how they surface in the pause between Morning Edition news and Dick Stein's jazz, like the unexpected and welcome sight of a hummingbird hovering near the kitchen window.

Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company