A walk on the wild side

In the last few weeks, I've learned about oak trees and all the creatures that rely on them for food, tracked birds by satellite as they flew between Arabia and India, and followed Monarch butterflies as they make the multi-generational trip from Canada to Mexico. The insects, birds and other animals we share the world with are endlessly fascinating. Magazines focused on wildlife open my eyes to parts of the world I might otherwise never see.

The combination of a well-written magazine and a supplementary Web site is especially effective for wildlife magazines. Lots of sites include audio clips of the animals they are writing about. Some have video, too. There are often archived articles and links to more up-to-date information.

Birder's World http://www.birdersworld.com Birder's World, all about exploring birds in the field and backyard, is one of the traditional magazines that's developed a good Web presence. The articles are mostly written by birders whose credentials include membership in natural history societies and years of experience. Some are experts at gardening to attract birds. Others specialize in the birds of a particular region. The articles are nicely varied. My favorite in the most recent issue was all about screech owls -- I only read it for the pictures! (Imagine four or five little gray owls, all big sleepy eyes and pointy ears, snuggled up together on a branch.) The Web site has some archived articles and some Web-only features -- mini-sound clips of bird songs are my favorite.

National Wildlife http://nwf.org The National Wildlife Federation published the intriguing article on oak trees in its last issue. It's most beautiful image was a page-and-a-half photo of a broadly spreading oak tree, with an almost-as-broadly-spreading black bear standing on his hind legs, hoping for some acorns to fall. In profile he bore some resemblance to Alfred Hitchcock -- this was a healthy, winter-ready bear! The mix of articles is a real pleasure here, and the photography is terrific.

Natural History http://www.naturalhistory.com This rather venerable magazine, published by the American Museum of Natural History, is both beautiful and authoritative. The writers are almost all scientists and researchers in their fields, but that does not make the writing dull. Far from it, in fact. The "Gorilla Exposé" in the October 1999 issue was a real hoot. The author, primatologist Richard Parnell, described himself and his fellow gorilla observers as "hopelessly addicted to the unfolding soap opera" of gorilla life. "Who is really the father of Misha's baby? Why did Jodie slap Wrona?" And you thought science class was dull. Natural History isn't just about wildlife. There are also articles on astronomy, fossils, and many other branches of science.

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