Bird Banter (Dr. Ed Pullen)

7On this episode Alex Harper, a birder and trip leader from Las Vegas, NV talk about birding in Sin City, his company Bird Las Vegas that leads half and whole day trips individualized to his customer's needs in Las Vegas. Alex has also birded Alaska extensively, and has a great birding story. Enjoy. 

Bird Las Vegas Website

Check out the associated blog post on BirdBanter.com 

Contact Alex through his website here. 

Paul Bannick is an award winning photographer and author and on this episode we talk about his photography, his new books about the Life History of Great Gray and Snowy Owls, his conservation work, photography in general and his life’s work and stories.  Enjoy.

Here is a link to Paul’s website, where you can contact him by email or buy his books.

Read more and see related info on this episode at the Bird Banter Blog. 

Until next time:  Good birding and good day!

On this episode Diane Yorgason-Quinn (see Episode #20) and Larry Schwitters talk about their work with Vaux's Swifts and the Vaux Happening Project. Larry got his start in swift research hiking to and looking for Black Swifts at over 100 waterfalls (thing very remote) in Washington State (and Oregon and CA).  From there he helped preserve the Wagner Schoolhouse in Monroe, WA.  From there he continued to start the Vaux Happening Project which documents roosting Vaux's Swifts at many old chimney roosts throughout the western U.S.  and Mexico.  

Enjoy. To learn more check out the associated blog post on BirdBanter.com  

On this episode Eric Heisey and I talk about his birding, his research on Savannah Sparrows at the Ryan Norris lab working on an island in the Bay of Fundy with a breeding population of Savannah Sparrows. 

You can reach out to Eric by email heiseyew -at- email-dot-com

Please leave a comment and review and review

Thanks. Good birding and good day!

Jim and I talk about his birding in Johnson County, Iowa as well as his birding story, which began as a youth, had a long dormant stage, and has been revived in recent years with county big years, birding around the ABA area and a reinvigorated interest in backyard nature habitat.  I think you'll enjoy hearing Dr. Kettelkamp's story.

You can reach Jim on Facebook @jim.kettelkamp where you can check out his backyard habitat.

Read more on the Bird Banter blog. 

Thanks for listening and until next time, good birding and good day!

David Waters, the driving force behind the project to reintroduce Great Bustards to England, is my guest on The Bird Banter Podcast #107.  I first met  David when my wife and I visited his home to see his captive Great Bustards (injured birds) and to hear his story of the project. We also got to see some of the reintroduced birds on the Salisbury Plains.

You can learn more about this project at The Great Bustard Project Homepage or on my blog post with more information about this episode.

Until next time, good birding and good day!

On this episode Abby and I talk about the conservation efforts she is working on with Audubon Delta and the conservation of Black Skimmers and Least Terns, as well as her doctoral studies with mixed flocks in the American tropics, her birding story and stories.  

You can contact Abby through Audubon Delta.  Read more about topics on this episode on the blog post on BirdBanter.com 

Until next time, good birding and good day!

In this episode, after most of 2019 as the inaugural year of The Bird Banter Podcast, with 53 episodes, some brief and unnumbered, I look back at the guests I've talked with, the fun I've had, and feel happy with the year in the rear view mirror.  Enjoy. 

Here are some links to things discussed in this episode:

http://thespeckledhatchback.blogspot.com/  Dorian Anderson's current website and his Biking for the Birds 2014 Big Year Blog http://bikingforbirds.blogspot.com/

You can find Christian Hagenlacher's book and website here: http://www.thebirdingproject.com/falconfreeway

Here is the Alvaro's Adventures Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/alvarosadventures

Here is a link to Rob Porters Songbirding Podcast Website:  https://songbirding.com/

Dr. Geoffrey Hill's website has his birding blog and a link to his professional website to learn more about his research on speciation:  https://www.ornithologistsblog.com/

To learn about John Pushcock's Attu tours and other tours check his website here: http://www.zbirdtours.com/

You can find Sharon Stiteler, aka Birdchick here for her podcast: http://www.birdchick.com/

Be sure to check my blog at http://birdbanter.com/index.php/category/thebirdbanterpodcastblog/

were you can find more info about the podcast, blog posts related to most episodes, and more.

Until next time.  Good birding.  Good day!

On this episode Sarah Swanson and I talk about her new book, Best Little Book of Birds: The Oregon Coast, as well as her birding story, her prior book, birding around Portland, OR and lots more. 

You can preorder Sarah's book Best Little Book of Birds: The Oregon Coast

She is @Sarahlovesbirds on Instagram

Be sure to check out the blog post with lost more info on BirdBanter.com

Thanks for listening.  Good birding. 

Pete Salmansohn, knows as Puffin Pete, is my guest on The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #57.  Pete has worked as an educator for National Audubon Society and other organizations, and has been especially involved in education about seabirds off the Maine Coast.  We talk about the highly successful and ongoing reintroduction of Atlantic Puffins and other seabirds to breeding islands off the Maine Coast.  Enjoy.

We talk about Hog Island Audubon Camp and here is a link to their site.

Here is a link to a 2010 Science article on the Puffin Reintroduction.

Here is another article about the work of their project.  I like this one a lot.

Here is a link to one of Pete's children's books on Amazon.  

Be sure to check out the blog post on BirdBanter.com to see more related info.

Good birding. Good Day!

On this episode Scott and I talk about his discovery of birding as a passion later in life, and about how this led to his quest to see all of the Lower-48 raptors, initially in a year, but eventually in 17 months.  Scott is also a prolific author, and we talk about his writing and his future birding plans. 

His newest book:  RaptorQuest:  Chasing America's Raptors

See more about the places and people we talk about on the BirdBanter.com blog. 

Thanks for listening. Good birding and good day!

On this episode father-son birders Mathew and Levi Radford join me to talk about their birding, birding in Oklahoma, and how birding as a father-son duo had been important in their lives.  

You can find their Father and Son Birding page on Facebook here. Mathew here, and Levi here.

Read more about my recent coast birding trip on the ABC Birding site here, and as always check out the BirdBanter.com blog here. 

On The Bird Banter Podcast #90 Cameron Cox and I talk about lots of things, but maybe the most interesting to me was to hear about his philosophy on bird identification and the ways birders can learn more advanced bird ID.  He has a lot of experience at identification of birds in flight, and we talk about how birders can improve that skill set.  Of course there is a lot of less technical birding talk too. Enjoy.

You can find Cameron on Facebook @kumleni or on email kumleni-at- Gmail-dot-com.

See the blog post on birdbanter.com for more detailed information.

Good birding and good day!

On The Bird Banter Podcast #106 the hosts of The Birder's Show, a YouTube series that debuted during the pandemic, Diego Calderón and Chris Bell are my guests.  We talk about their exciting new show, birding in Colombia, and more. Don't miss this one.  Thanks for listening.

For more info see my blog on Birdbanter.com

Until next time, good birding and good day!

Well, after a long break for a fabulous winter trip, the podcast is back with Ed talking about his trip to Florida, Colombia and Costa Rica. 

The Colombia trip was run by Hillstar Nature Tours and led by Joshus Covill.

The Proaves Organization is worth checking out, and here is their article about the possible new species of antpita. 

To see photos, more detailed narrative, and other cool stuff about the trip check out the Bird Banter blog post about the trip. 

You may remember John from episode #31 when we talked about his upcoming birding big year traveling only by unicycle and on foot.  Well, as with all things 2020 Covid-19 intervened, but the start of his planned big year is story enough to warrant having John back to hear how is adventure went. In a nutshell, crazy and super cool.  Enjoy. 

Here is a link to John's blog. 

Check out the BirdBanter.com blog post here and leave a comment about your favorite big year stories. 

Thanks for listening. Good birding. Good day

On The Bird Banter Podcast #71 host Ed Pullen talks about resources birders can use to learn to be better birders, to identify birds, and to further their enjoyment of birding.

See the Supplemental Information blog post on BirdBanter.com for links to find most of the resources mentioned in this episode.

Please subscribe to The Bird Banter Podcast wherever you get your podcast feeds to not miss future episodes, and leave a rating and review on your podcast feed platform.

Until next time.  Good birding. Good day!

On this episode I fill in between episodes with guests.  On the first week of my planned 3 week road trip up the Mississippi from New Orleans to Iowa, Marian and I bird around New Orleans, venture south to see the destruction, rebuilding and birds of Grand Isle, and head north as far as Memphis.  We bird in 4 states, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee. For listeners this will be a different episode, and I hope you enjoy it, but if not my more typical episodes with guests will return after the trip.  

To see more details about the trip check out the Ed's birding notes on the BirdBanter.com website. here and here. 

Good birding. 

On The Bird Banter Podcast #110 with Andy Stepniewski we talk about his passion and interest in the shrub-steppe habitat that remains near his home in Yakima County, WA, his birding story and some of his birding experiences. Andy was mentored by Jim Lane, of bird finding site guide fame, and he was a primary contributor to The Birder’s Guide to Washington.  

For more detailed information see the blog post on BirdBanter.com.

Until next time. Good birding and good day!

On this episode I talk with Jacob Miller, a young Washington birding friend who has just completed his freshman year at Washington State University. Jacob shares his experiences as a first year university student, talks about birding in a new county and part of the state, big days and developing new birding friends, as well as starting a birding club at WSU.  Enjoy.

We talk about Liam Hutcheson's WA big year, hear about it on episode #168. 

To hear more about nocturnal bird calls in Washington, check out Episode #118 with Jim Danzenbaker. 

Read more on the Bird Banter Podcast Blog post. 

Thanks for listening. Until next time, good birding and good day!

On this episode we talk about slow birding, as Joan Strassmann writes about in her book. Slow Birding: The Art and Science of Enjoying Birds in Your Own Backyard.  Joan also talks about her work at Washington University in St. Louis, and how her teaching there has led to using birding in the area as a means of teaching students observation skills. In her book she goes into beautiful detail about places and birds she sees and visits regularly. 

You can find her book anywhere books are sold. Here is a link on Buteo Books. 

To see her bio at Washington University in St. Louis click here. 

To read the blog post associated with this episode or to send a comment or suggestion to me use these links. 

Thanks for listening. Until next time, good birding and good day!

On this episode I report on birding the Great River Road, and various places nearby, from Memphis to Davenport, Iowa and then on to Omaha.  Overall a great experience, seeing new states, new roads, and getting an appreciation for the great river. 

Highlights were great looks at Sedge Wren, some fabulous National Wildlife Refuges, and of course the Mississippi River and all it entails. 

For more details, photos and related information see the blog posts under Ed's Birding Notes on the Bird Banter website. 

Stay tuned for some great guests coming soon. 

Good birding. Good day!

I learned lots and had fun talking with Florence Reed and Patrick McMillan.  I learned that most of the people in the world feed themselves on relatively small family farms, and that helping them inprove yields and improve their health and lives.  This alone would be a worthy endeavor, but these farming methods can at the same time really make a difference in the global climate change crisis while improving habitat for migratory birds.  Birders should care about this.  I do, and am so happy to have the chance to talk with these two passionate experts. 

You can learn about Sustainable Harvest International on their web site, follow them on Facebook, and support their cause if you feel compelled as I have felt. 

Learn more at the Bird Banter Blog post about this episode.

Until next time. Good birding and Good Day!

On The Bird Banter Podcast #119 with Michael and Paula Webster we talk about their 5-year birding adventure in South America. They travelled in a Toyota pop-top camper van, had wild and harrowing experiences and saw remote and wonderful places, people and birds that are almost beyond belief.  They are real, as you can see by watching many of their videos on the You Tube Channel The Condors Feathers. 

Michael and Paula decided after careers in business for Michael and as a math teacher for Paula to follow their lifelong birding passion to travel, document and experience places they dreamed of seeing. They spent 5 years traveling throughout much of South America. While there they produced a fabulous video documentary on one of South America’s most endangered bird species, the Hooded Grebe.  It is spectacular.  Check out Tango in the Wind.  

Michael has written a book about the adventure, to be released in the U.K. in about February, and in the U.S. later in 2022 called The Condor’s Feather:  Traveling Wild in South America which you can find to pre-order on Amazon or in the U.K. at Waterstones.

I loved the chance to meet and talk with this amazing couple, and cannot wait to read the book.

Good birding and good day.  

On The Bird Banter Podcast #111 I talk with Mason Maron, a young birder who is studying at Washington State University, is beginning a research project on Gray-crowned Rosy Finch diet changes over the last 60 years, and was a lot of fun to talk with. You can find his photography on his website Mason Maron Photography and on his @masonmaronphotography Instagram site. 

Read more related information on the BirdBanter.com blog post for more information.

Until next time, good birding and good day!

I’ve been in the LRGV now for almost 2 weeks, and am starting to feel like I can find my way around. I am also starting to meet some of the local birders, and today was able to meet with Mary Gustafson.  I

learned that Mary and I have at least one thing in common. Ken Brown was helpful to us in our earlier birding days. When Mary was at UPS Ken often took her out locally birding. You can hear Ken's birding story in episode #2. 

Mary is a top national birder, and has lived in the Lower RGV for about 15 years. She has been a trip guide here, has a long resume as an ornithologist working around the country and abroad, and was really fun to meet and talk with today.

She mentions that she worked at the National Bird Banding Center, and here is a link to their website. https://www.usgs.gov/centers/pwrc/science/bird-banding-laboratory?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects

She mentions Peter Pyle’s two tome book used by bird banders and museum curators for bird ID, aging, etc. Here is a link to that on amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Identification-Guide-North-American-Birds/dp/0961894024  This is part 1, part 2 is easy to find also. 

Here is the web site for the National Butterfly Center. https://www.nationalbutterflycenter.org/

Be sure to check out BirdBanter.com blog for more info, photos, etc. 

Follow @birdbanter on Facebook and  @birdbanter on twitter.  My error on the podcast, I changed my twitter handle from @dredpullen to @birdbanter. 

Good birding.  Good day!

On this episode Michael Todd, the top eBird lister in Tennessee and I talk about birding his home state, his birding story, his mentors, and more.  

Michael mentions several top Mississippi River floodplain hotspots in Tennessee on the episode. Here are some eBird links to those areas. 

Ensley Bottoms Maxxon Wastewater Lagoons

Tennessee NWR Big Sandy Unit

It was really fun to hear about a new place and from a birder who really knows the area well.

As always check out the blog post about the episode where by the time this airs I'll have more details about my birding in the Nashville area. 

'Good birding and good day!

On The Bird Banter Podcast #114 I talk with Zach Poland, a top Oklahoma birder who I heard about from Pete Janzen of Episode #112.  Zach talks about his birding story, birding in Oklahoma, how his training in geology influences his birding strategies and more. Enjoy. 

See the blog post on Birdbanter.com for additional information. 

Thanks for listening.

Good birding and good day!

On this episode I talk with a relative newcomer to birding, Courtney Ellis. Courtney began birding during the pandemic, and has become a birding enthusiast and ambassador.  Check out her podcast The Thing with Feathers, as well as her soon to be released book Looking Up: A Birders Guide to Hope Through Grief.

We talked about my episode #148 with Holly Merker where you can hear about Ornitherapy and the Mindful Birding Network. 

To read more about the things we talked about check out the blog post on BirdBanter.com. 

Thanks for listening. Until next time, good birding and good day!

On The Bird Banter Podcast #122 Tiffany Kersten talks about her record breaking Lower 48 United States birding big year, seeing 726 species while raising awareness for the safety of women in nature.  It's a great story and Tiffany tells it well. 

You can see Tiffany's blog here. 

Read more about the year on The Bird Banter blog and find other big years on the podcast prior epsodes #121 Will Brooks and Jason Vassallo, #4 Christian Haganlocher, #5 with Dorian Anderson and his Biking for Birds Big Year, and #79 with Lynn Barber on her Texas and Alaska big years. 

As always comments and feedback are welcome, and if you have ideas of guests you'd like to hear on the podcast contact me on the website contact page. 

Thanks for listening. Until next time good birding and good day!

Melissa Hafting is my guest on the Bird Banter Podcast #105, and we talk about her work with young birders in BC, her leadership of the BC Rare Bird Alert, and her birding experiences.   You can find Melissa on Instagram @bcbirdergirl

Please leave a review and rating on the podcast platform you prefer, and check out the blog associated with this episode on The Bird Banter Blog

See Melissa's blog here

Check the BC Rare Bird Alert here

Until next time. Good birding and good day!

I had a chance to meet Peter Kaestner on my recent Antarctica trip. On the cruise Peter gave a talk about his life passion of seeing as many species of birds as he can in the world.  He worked for the U.S. diplomatic service, lived in many "birdy" places and visited many others. He now works part-time as a birding tour guide for Rockjumper Worldwide Birding Adventures, and has seen over 9700 of the 10,933 species now on the IOC checklist.  It's an amazing story, and I hope you enjoy hearing Peter's story and stories.  As always check out the BirdBanter blog for more details. You can reach Peter by email using the address on his eBird profile.  

Thanks for listening. Good birding and good day!

On this episode I talk with Raphael Fennimore about his 2021 King County, WA big year, his experiences with marine mammal research, his scuba diving, his photography experience with a new mirrorless camera and more. I hope you enjoy.

Reach Raphael at Raphael.Fennimore - at- gmail - dot- com or via his Instagram Feed @RaphaelFennimore

See more details and hopefully interesting information on the BirdBanter.com blog. 

Please leave a rating and review.  Thanks for listening. 

On The Bird Banter Podcast #131 I talk with Marcos Trinidad, the Center Director at Debs Park in Los Angeles, an avid birder, a leading advocate for diversity and inclusion in the environmental movement.  We talk about Marco's experiences in finding ways to have cell phones and technology provide positive experiences in nature, how to appreciate the urban nature around us, and his personal birding and life experiences.  

You can reach Marcos at the Debs Park Audubon site, on Instagram @huskynaturalist or on Twitter @brownbirder 

Thanks for listening. Please leave a rating and review. 

Until next time, good birding and good day.

On this episode David and Dee Simpson talk about their Florida birding, their company Birding with David Simpson, Dee's blog Dee at Eight AM, and their birding stories. 

Dee posts a photo and an educational poem about where she is and what she sees every morning on her blog. David does bird guiding in Florida and beyond, and is an avid state and county lister in Florida, with over 150 species seen in every one of Florida's 67 counties.  

David has a passion for teaching visitors about everything natural in Florida, and this passion comes through clearly on the podcast episode.  

Dee and David have a You Tube Channel with educational videos about birding in Florida that I find really good. 

As always see more about the episode on the BirdBanter.com blog post.

Until next time, good birding and good day!

Matt Yawney talks about finding vagrants in Grant County, WA, his birding story and more on The Bird Banter Podcast #75.  Be sure to read the blog post associated with this episode on The Bird Banter website.  

Leave a rating and review wherever you get your podcast feeds. 

Until next time. Good birding. Good day!

I don't do many solo episodes but couldn't resist an episode to talk about my recent expedition cruise to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica.  Antarctica is such an awesome, wild, remote and special place I've long dreamed of visiting.  Well, after two years of covid postponements I finally managed the visit this November.  The ABA, Alvaro's Adventures, and Rockjumper Birding put together a ship full of birders and Quark Expeditions ran the ship, and we did it.  

For lots of details on the trip, see my trip report,and for lots of photos see my Flickr Album. To hear another podcast about the trip, check out Nate Swick's podcast episode with two of the expedition guides Ted Floyd and Katinka Domen. 

If all goes as planned my next episode will be a talk with one of the top guides on the trip, and fellow podcaster George Armistad.  Follow his podcst (along with Alvaro Jaramillo and Mollee Brown) Life List: A Birding Podcast. 

As always check out the Bird Banter Blog for more detailed info. 

Until next time, good birding and good day.

On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #62 my daughter, Jean Pullen, and I talk about her passion, restorative agriculture in the tropics.  Jean lives in Costa Rica and is in the process with her partner Alan of restoring a hectacre of previous pastureland into a productive, earth-restoring agriforestry project. Jean also works with Jungle Project. You can read more about restorative agriculture at Kiss The Ground. 

You can follow Jean on Facebook

Be sure to check out the blog post on the Bird Banter Website that tells more about the subjects we discussed today. Also please leave a reveiw and rating on the podcast feed of your choice. 

Until next time. Good birding. Good day!

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On this episode we talk about John's birding story, birding in Connecticut, and his chase to see American Flamingos that were blown north by Hurricane Idalia.  We talk about why the Long Island Sound is not great for pelagic birding, but is excellent for other birds.  

Read more at the BirdBanter.com blog.  

Learn more about John on his eBird Profile. 

On this episode Jim Danzenbaker and I talk about his experiences leading wildlife safaris to the Antarctic region, his pelagic birding experiences, his birding story, career, about Christmas Bird Counts and more.  Enjoy.

Find a CBC in Washington here.

See the 2021 CBC report from Natioinal Audubon here. 

Check out the blog post on the BirdBanter.com blog here. 

Until next time, good birding and good day1

Andrew took me out birding in Wahkiakum County, WA and we recorded this episode after a great day of birding.  We talk about the Alcyon Farm, his home and wonderful natural area, birding in Wahkiakum County, his Skamokawa Swamp Opera band, his Sea Kayak Business, the history of steemboats on the Columbia River, and more. He is a fabulously talented and interesting person.   Here is a link to the facebook page of the Skamokawa Swamp Opera

and here is a link to Columbia River Kayaking. 

Read and see lots more at The Bird Banter Blog. 

Until next time. Good birding and Good Day!

Peter Hodum is a professor at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA and is a passionate birder and researcher of seabirds.  We talk about his passion and work with seabirds off the Washington coast as well as in the Juan Fernández Islands off Chile. Peter is an eloquent speaker, penultimate teacher, and I know you’ll enjoy hearing his birding story. For lots of photos and much more detail check out the post on the Bird Banter blog at http://birdbanter.com

Here is a link to Peters not-for-profit mentioned in the episode.  https://oikonos.org/

On this episode I talk with Francis Canto Jr., a birder and birding guide from Belize.  I learn a lot about Belize, birding there, and about Francisco and his work and passion for birds and birding. Enjoy. 

You can find Francisco on Facebook 

Here is a link to the Belize Bird Conservatory Hawk Watch Project web page. 

Thanks for listening. As always read more about this episode on the Bird Banter blog. 

Until next time. Good birding. 

On this episode I talk with Rebecca Heisman, author of the new book Flight Paths, and hear about the story of writing the book, more stories about the people behind the research on bird migration, and her personal and birding story.  

In the introduction I talk about the migration watch scene at Dune Peninsula. Check out the eBird hotspot page here. 

You can learn more about Rebecca at her website rebeccaheisman.com

As always find more related info on the Bird Banter Blog post about this article.  

Until next time, I hope you enjoyed migration, and good birding!

On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode with Dennis Paulson we talk about his start as a bird watcher, his life as a naturalist, his dragonfly studies and publications, his travels, and a bit about the politics of conservation and environmentalism.  Birding, Bird Watching, and the love of nature are common themes. Enjoy.

You can reach dennis by email at dennispaulson - at- comcast.net

He is on facebook as @dennis.paulson.10 and as he mentions he posts educational info with photos regularly.

Read more details about Dennis and the episode at the Bird Banter blog.  

Until next time. Good birding. Good day!

In The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #50 Nathanael Swecker and I talk about his extensive experiences birding on the huge military post in Tacoma, Joint Base Lewis McChord, about his bird banding at the Morse Preserve, his work with the Tahoma Audubon Society where he is serving at the current president, and about his experience as an openly gay birder.  He is an exceptionally engaging and articulate guest, and I think you'll enjoy his story. 

You will find more details about this episode on the associated blog post on BirdBanter.com 

Enjoy. 

Alex Patia is my guest on The Bird Banter Podcast #93 and we talk about his birding story and experiences. Alex has birded in Washington and New Mexico most extensively, and we talk about how he keeps finding himself in big year quests that he had not planned to do as the year began.  He is an environmental educator and it was my pleasure to talk with Alex about birding on this episode. Enjoy.

You can reach out to Alex on Instagram or by email alexpatia89-at-gmail-dot-com

Read more about this episode on the Bird Banter website blog.

Until  next time good birding and good day!

On this episode Joe Morlan and I talk about his multifaceted birding career and experiences.  Joe taught birding classes at the College of San Francisco for year, served as member, chair and now as webmaster of the California Bird Records Committee, is an author, and is a really good storyteller.  

You can reach Joe from his website.

Read more on the BirdBanter.com blog post about this episode.

Thanks for listening.

Good birding and good day. 

Mollee Brown is my guest on this episode and we talk about her Nighthawk Agency, which provides business solutions for the birding industry.  We also talk about her work as a bird guide, her birding story, and the trip she is leading for Hillstar Nature to the the Chocó region of Colombia that I'll be taking next winter.  

Check out Nighthawk Agency here. The trip to Chocó here, and The Birding Coop here. 

The learn more about the topics discussed see the blog post on BirdBanter.com. 

On this episode Doug Hitchcox, a field educator with the Maine Audubon Society and one of very few birders to have found 400 species of birds in the state of Maine is my guest.  We talk about his birding story and adventures, as well as his work with Maine Audubon.  Doug is really fun to talk with, and I cannot wait to try to get together birding with him next time I go home to Maine. 

You can find Doug @dhitchcox on Twitter 

or contact him at Maine Audubon by email naturalist@maineaudubon.org  

Here is information about the Gilsland Farm which we talk about in detail on the episode. 

Here is the website for the Hog Island Audubon Camp. 

As always find more at BirdBanter.com under the blog section

Until next time. Good birding and good day!

On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #67 with Dr. Roger Lederer we talk about not just birding and ornithology, but tips on how to prepare for a career in ornighology, travel, and his birding website Ornithology.com  Below are some links to topics we discuss.

Here is the page on Ornithology Careers.

Here is the Osher Foundation site for  adult courses Dr. Lederer discusses.

Here are links to some of the other episodes I talk about in the intro.

Blog post on the Mary Gustafson Episode #55 

Good birding.  Good day!

In this episode Nate and I talk about his early birding years in the Tacoma area with his older brother Chris, his early photography on a birding trip to South Africa, and his progression from birding into becoming a professional nature photographer and photography tour leader.  It's a fun story, and I think you'll enjoy hearing about Nate's career and travels. 

You can follow Nate on facebook @ChappellPhoto  or at his web site http://www.trogontours.net/

The Tahoma Audubon Society that Nate mentions has lots of field trips as well as having a Christmas Bird Count.  You can find theim at https://www.tahomaaudubon.org/

Be sure to check out my web site Bird Banter 

Until next time.  Good birding and good day. 

On this episode Matt Goff, a Sitka birder and all around naturalist, talk about birding in Sitka, his 10+ years of doing a bi-weekly radio show on KCAW, the local radio station in Sitka, about birding and many other aspects of the natural history and environment of the Sitka area.  He also has a website SitkaNature.org where you can learn lots more.  It was really fun to hear about hyper-focused birding in his home city/borough.  Matt is a self taught naturalist, who is simply very interested in every aspect of the natural world around him. Birding is just one aspect of his love of nature and his study of his local environment.  It seems like a very healthy and wonderful focus, and one we can all admire if not emulate.   

On this episode I talk with Ezekiel Dobson, the young birder who just became the youngest Lower-48 ABA birder to see 700 species in a year on his 2024 big year.  Ezekiel talks about his big year, his birding story, the birders and birds he has seen this year, and on what's yet to come, both in the big year and the years ahead for him.  

Read more on the blog post on Bird Banter. 

Support Ezekiel on his Go Fund Me page.

Follow Ezekiel on Instagram

Until next time, good birding and good day!

On this episode Dr. Klem and I talk about one of the leading and least well publicized causes of bird mortality in the world which is collision with glass surfaces. Birds simply don't see glass as a barrier, try to fly through it, and die in startling numbers.  Hear the facts, learn what you can do, and be able to make informed decisions about the ways you can help reduce this tragedy. 

Dr. Klem is a professor of ornithology at Muhlenberg College. He recently published a book, Solid Air: Invisible Killer, Saving Billions of Birds from Windows. 

You can buy the book at Hancock House Publishing

You can find more details at Dr. Klem's website. 

Also find lots more details at my blog post on BirdBanter.com

On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #44 Clarice Clark and Jerry Broadus, Tacoma area birders and volunteer conservation and ornithology researchers talk about their life experiences in these fields.  They have really walked the walk in terms of putting their efforts, resources and time to further their passion for  helping understand and safe birds and bird habitat.  Here are some links to topics they discussed to learn more.

First here is a link to our ABC Birding Club website and the article on the presentation  by Jerry and Clarice. http://abcbirding.com/saving-hawaiis-birds-june-2019-presentation-by-abcs-intrepid-bird-banders-clarice-clark-and-jerry-broadus/

This is information about the Duck Stamp program and a way to buy yours online. https://www.fws.gov/birds/get-involved/duck-stamp.php

This is the website of the Friends of Willipa Bay who run the festival we talked about on the episode.  https://friendsofwillaparefuge.org/

This is the site of the Nisqually NWR  https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Billy_Frank_Jr_Nisqually/

This is more information about the issues Jerry and Clarice faced in their recent work in Hawaii. https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/01/07/nr20-004/

Last this is the site of Duck’s Unlimited. You know an old and powerful organization when they have a great url like this.  https://www.ducks.org/

Until next time. Good birding. Good day. 

Dorian Anderson is my guest on this episode of the podcast. Dorian was a guest on one of my earliest episodes #5 in Feb. 2019, and I have been waiting it seems forever to talk with him again once his book was written and published.  After you hear from Dorian today I'm sure you'll want to read Birding Under the Influence: Cycling Across America in Search of Birds and Recovery.

On the episode we talk about Pop Tech, a pretty cool concept and event that I had not heard about before. Check it out. 

Here is a link to the Tammy and David McQuade episode we discuss. Here is the Biking for the Birds blog link. Here is a short You Tube done on his biking year. 

Thanks for listening.  Good Birding. 

On The Bird Banter Podcast #88 with Brian “Fox” Ellis you’ll hear the story of a lifelong birder and professional story teller. Brian has worked as a story teller and performer for over 40 years, and tells his birding story and others on this episode.  Enjoy.

Here are links to Brian’s Web Site Fox Tales International

You can find his You Tube Channel here: 

Find lots more information plus a great place to leave your favorite birding story on The Bird Banter Podcast blog.

Until next time. Good birding and good day!

Kathleen Foley, program director for the Westermn Bluebird San Juan Reintroduction Project is my guest on this episode. We talk about the project, her experiences both with bluebirds and birding on the islands and elsewhere.  Really cool stuff IMO.

Check out the project at at the San Juan Preservation Trust website here. 

See more on the Bird Banter website blog post.

Until next time. Good birding and good day. 

On Episode #55 I talk with bird rehabilitator and author Suzie Gilbert.  We talk about her progression from volunteer at a local raptor rehab program where her experience as a writer led to a newspaper column, a children's book and eventually to having her own in-home bird rehab center. Her first adult book was a memoir about the challenges of trying to balance life as a Mom and a rehab center owner and manager.  Her new novel, which I can vouch for as a fine read, is Unflappable, a novel about a young woman on the lam with a bald eagle she is trying to smuggle from Florida to Ontario, Canada.  It is fun to talk about her passion for birds and her writing career.  Enjoy. 

You can buy Unflappable at Amazon or Barnes and Noble online.

Her website is SuzieGilbert.com

We talk about her time as a writer for 10,000 Birds, a top birding blog.  

Here is a link to the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association website Suzie mentioned where you can learn lots about bird and other wildlife rehab. 

Be sure to check out my blog post with more details about the episode at Birdbanter.com.

Until next time.  Good birding. Good day!

On this episode Bob and I talk about his career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service, his birding story and stories and more. How many birders have birded in Area 51?  My guess is not many.  His career path involved working at many of the great U.S. National Wildlife Refuges including the Loxahatchee NWR in Florida, the Wheeler NWR in Alabama, Kern NWR, Stillwater NWR in Nevada, and the Ridgefield and Columbia NWRs in Washington. 

Bob encouages birders to ask their senators Here are contacts for the WA Senators and Representative of that area. 

Senator Patty Murray Murray.senate.gov Vancouver Office (360) 696-7797 Seattle Office (866) 481-9186 Senator Maria Cantwell Cantwell.senate.gov Vancouver Office (360) 696-7838 Seattle Office (206) 220-6400 Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler Jhb.house.gov Vancouver Office (360) 695-6292 Washington DC Office (202) 225-3536

Thanks for listening.  

Read more on the  Birdbanter.com  blog. 

Until next time, good birding and good day!

On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #61 Stefan Schlick and I talk about birding in the Pacific Northwest, his experiences as a birding trip leader, and a bit about dragonflies and .  Stefan is a top ABA birder with roots in Germany who has lived in several top ABA birding areas. He now is a full time birding trip guide based near Portland, OR. 

You can find his Portland Audubon Society trips on their web site. 

Stefan's web site is Birdmeister's Blog

See the supporting notes and more info on this episode at the Birdbanter.com Blog Page. 

Please leave a review and a rating on your favorite blog feed site or here.  

Until next time. Good birding.  Good Day!

On this episode we talk birding in Australia with R. Bruce Richardson, entertainer, birder and now author of An Australian Birding Year.  Australia has been high on my most wanted list of places to go, and it is even higher after talking with Bruce. 

Check out the blog post on BirdBanter.com for more photos and info about Bruce and the episode.  Thanks for listening. 

Until next time. Good birding and good day 

The pandemic has kept lots of us from getting out birding with larger groups. It has crushed the ecotourism industry, but even birding clubs like our ABC Birding club here in Tacoma, WA have missed the social and birding gatherings we enjoyed prior to Covid.  In this episode I share thoughts on birding with friends, mentorship, and a bit about our first group trip in the reopening. Enjoy.  

Please contact me on the Bird Banter site to suggest guests you'd like to hear on the show.

Good birding and good day!

Lane Epps and Corrie Fulsom-O’Keefe Episode Podcast notes

On the Bird Banter Podcast Episode #51 I talk with two women who have maintained and nourished a long-time and long-distance birding relationship.  They actually used a recent episode of this podcast to help plan a birding trip to the Lower Rio Grande Valley, and interestingly on that podcast two of my best birding buddies and I talk about our trip.  I hope you enjoy the episode.

Lane works with the Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge, and here is a link to their website.  http://www.btnwildlife.org/

Here is a link to the Brookline Birding Club website  https://www.brooklinebirdclub.org/  This is the club that hosted the bird walk in the Boston Gardens where Land and Corrie first birded together.

Here is a link to the Bombay Hook NWR site mentioned in the episode  https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Bombay_Hook/

Until next time, good birding and good day!

Sometimes as birders we are too quick to overlook the beauty of our common species in search of uncommon or unexpected birds.  Non-birders and birders alike may enjoy as I take a deeper look at 5 species commonly seen in most places in the United States.  Why do geese poop so much?  Why is it Canada Goose but not America Redstart? Check it out.

Also see the associated blog post with photos and more info on these common birds.

Here is a link to the Wild Turkey Thanksgiving Episode.  

Please share this episode with your non-birding and birding friends alike.  

Good birding. Good Day!

Nick Lund, "The Birdist" and I talk about how he became The Birdist, birding in Maine, his birding story, and about birding adventures and more on this episode.  

Here are some key links related to the episode. See the blog post about this episode on the Bird Banter Blog for more information. 

The Birdist 

Maine Audubon

The ABA Podcast episode on birding Newfoundland

Please leave a review and rating on your podcast feed of choice.  Good Birding and Good Day!

On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #64 with Heather Ballash and Marcus Roening we talk about being a birding couple, about their extensive experience birding in Mexico, and about our local Pierce County, WA birding community.

You can read more about related topics on the Bird Banter Podcast Blog.

Please leave a review and rating on the podcast feed of your choice, and reach out to me if there are guests you’d like to hear from.

Until next time. Good birding. Good day!

Pelagic birding is different in many ways from birding on land.  It's fun, exhausting, and difficult, but can be really great too.  Ken Brown, my long-time birding buddy, and I have dreamed of  getting out of Hatteras N.C. with Brian Patteson for years, and finally made it happen this year. Despite difficult weather we had a great trip, and talk about that and more on this episode. 

Patteson Seabirding

Westport Seabirds

The Science of Birds Podcast

Blog post on Birdbanter.com

Dynamic Soaring Video

I'm guessing you know about The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, but do you know about the man who willed it to existance, the man known as "The Birdman of the Senate?"  I didn't until Will McLean Greeley, the Great-great nephew of Senator McLean, and author of a biography on Senator McLean reached out to me and we talked for the podcast.  It's a great story, and one I'm enjoying learning more about.  

You can find the book on Amazon here or at the publisher's website here. 

Read more about the book, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 and more on my blog post. 

Thanks for listening and I hope you enjoy the book. 

Until next time, good birding!

On this episode Holly Merker talks about Ornitherapy, her experiences with birding as therapy and of ways we can use birding as a means of improving our state of wellness.  She is also an extraordinarily talented and accomplished birder. You can find out lots more on the BirdBanter.com blog post about this episode. 

Buy her book Ornitherapy:  For Your Mind, Body and Soul on her website. 

Check out the Mindful Birding Network website here. 

Please leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast app.

Thanks and until next time. Good birding and good day!

On The Bird Banter Podcast #72 with Kimball Garrett we talk about Kimball's extensive experience as a Los Angeles County, CA birder, his work as the Collections Manager for the L.A. Natural History Museum Ornithology Collection, of his time in the golden days of California birding, and his birding story and experiences.  Enjoy. 

Here is a link to Kimball's bio and contact info at the museum. 

Check out the blog post on BirdBanter.com for more information related to the episode. 

On this episode I talk  with Deborah Green, the president of the Orange Audubon Society, and the chairperson of the upcoming North Shore Birding Festival on Lake Apopka, Florida.  This really a pretty cool festival as you'll hear about on the episode.  

Deborah is also a birder who travels to birding festivals, and so we talk a bit about some of her favorites.  To see more about birding festivals check out the BirdBanter.com blog post associated with this episode.

You can find Deborah by email at festival@orangeaudubonfl.org 

Thanks for  listening, and until next time, good birding and good day!

On this episode Cyndi Routledge and I talk about her passion for hummingbirds, her research on hummers as well as other

species, and her banding experiences. Listen for the segment on "cool hummingbird facts." You can find Cyndi on The Southeast Avian Research Project website. 

Read more on the Bird Banter Website blog post on this episode.

Until next time. Good birding and good day. 

On this episode I talk with Mike Bergin, the founder of the largest Birding Blog on the internet about how 10,000 Birds came about, its incredible run of popularity, and about his birding story.  Mike is a true birding ambassador and I expect you to enjoy listening.  

Here is a link to 10,000 Birds 

We mention the Suzie Gilbert, my guest on the last episode of this podcast, has new novel published recently. You can buy a copy of Unflappable on her website.  

Be sure to leave a rating and review on your podcast feel site about this episode or The Bird Banter Podcast in general.  

Thanks and good birding.  Good Day!

On this episode I talk with Greg Harrington, a Seattle, WA birder I've met several times in the field, and who had become a proficient and prolific birder in the area over a very few years.  He is always fun to meet, and was really fun to talk with on this episode.  He is a high school history teacher, and spent some of the Covid time when teaching was online teaching from the road while travelling around the U.S. exploring and birding. 

You can find Greg's email on his eBird profile here. 

Here is a link to A Birders Guide to Washington on the WOS website. You can buy it here. 

Here is Jerry Cooper's old but IMO still fabulous:  BIRDFINDER:  A Birder's Guide to Planning North American Trips 

See the blog post associated with this episode on the Bird Banter Blog for more details.  Thanks for listening. Please leave a rating and reveiw.  

As I mention in the introduction, some of my best times recording episodes for the podcast is when I just talk birding with another birder, like myself who just loves to talk birding with a fellow birder. No other agenda, just having fun.  Keith Corliss is my guest on this episode, a North Carolina birder who perfectly exemplifies a fellow birder enjoying taking an hour to chat about birding and meeting a new friend.  Enjoy

See Keith's eBird profile here

Keith's email is on his ebird profile.

I mention several episodes I really enjoyed with other birders who have great local and regional birding experiences to share. You'll find links to those and more on my 

I also mention the San Diego Birding Festival, I believe I misnamed it as the Sea and Sage Festival on the recording but here is the link. 

You can find information about the Searcher 5-day pelagic with Todd McGrath and others here.  

Westport Seabirds in Washington can be found here. 

Thanks for listening.  Until next time, good birding and good day!

After several episodes with guests who are big-time  birding listers, we change pace for this episode featuring a birder whose passion has led him to trekking, birding and supporting the communities of some of the highest elevation communities on earth, in the mountains of Nepal.  When I met David Swain on the ship on my recent Antarctica trip I know he would be really fun to talk with for the podcast.  Learn about Nepal, life in some of the highest elevation villages on earth, about trekking and birding in those areas and more. Enjoy.

The Altitude Project

David Swain on Facebook

Read and see more on the Bird Banter Blog

Patrick O’Donnell is my guest on Episode #65 of The Bird Banter Podcast and we talk about all things birding in Costa Rica. Patrick lives in San Jose, Costa Rica, is a guide for day trips from San Jose, leads trips for his local birding club all over the country, and writes extensively. He has published the Costa Rica Bird Finding eBook which I downloaded in Kindle format, but is available in other formats also.

He is a leader in the Birding Club of Costa Rica

Check out the blog post on the Bird Banter site for more details about the episode and related links.

Until next time. Good Birding. Good day!

On this episode I talk with two of the leaders of The Feminist Bird Club, Molly Adams who is the originator of the NYC chapter, and Sydney Golden Anderson who has been active in the Chicago chapter and now lives in Colorado.  I was excited to hear about the clubs work to increase diversity and be inviting to all people with an interest in birds. Their work toward this goal is inspiring to me and I hope to you.  

You can find the the Feminist Bird Club NYC Chapter website here, and there find links to many of the other chapters. Follow the NYC, Chicago or Seattle clubs on Instagram.  Buy the new book The Birding for a Better World: A guide to Finding Joy and Community in Nature anywhere books are sold, available Sept 5, 2023, but you can preorder now. 

I mention BirdingHotspots.org in the episode, and I encourage listeners to participate in this crowd-sourced birding tool online. 

Check out the blog post associated with this episode on the Bird Banter Website. 

Thanks for listening. Until next time, good birding and good day!

On this episode I have my first guest from the Czech  Republic, Mikuláš Řimánek.

I met Mik when he was a teenage Rotary Exchange student and had the chance to get out birding with Mik then.  Since then Mik has become a leader in his country in the effort to recruit more youth into birding, and his story is both inspirational and exciting for me.  I think you'll enjoy hearing Mik's story.  You can reach out to Mik on Facebook or Instagram.  You can see his eBird profile here. 

As I mentioned please let me know both about successes and efforts in your area to bring more young people into our wonderful hobby and passion.  Leave info in the podcast review section, or on the BirdBanter.com contact section.

Also read more about the episode and related topics on the BirdBanter.com blog here. 

Until next time. Thanks for listening, and good birding and good day!

Well, that wraps up the Bird Banter Podcast Episode #87 with Dan Cooper. I hope you enjoyed listening, and as always I welcome feedback, either as a review or rating on the podcast on your favorite podcast feed platform, by comments on the Bird Banter.com blog that adds supporting details to this episode, or by reaching out to me @birdbanter on both Twitter and Facebook.

You can find Dan's Web Site here. 

Until next time, Good birding and good day.

I got home from Texas this week, the next day chased and found a lingering Siberian Accentor in Cowlitz County for a new Washington State bird to me, and now sit down to reminisce about the trip to the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas.  I talk briefly about my time with Ken and Bruce, but mostly about stretching myself, leading a trip of 11 people to the valley, far outside my past trip-leading experience and off my home turf.  It worked out pretty well. I had fun and I think the others did too. We saw some cool birds, new places, and everyone got through it without undue stress or major problems.   You can read more about the trip on the Birdbanter.com blog, or on the trip report on the ABC Birding Club website.

Thanks for listening.

Good birding. Good day!

On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #69 with Francisco Garcia we talk about birding in the San Blas area of Nayarit, Mexico on the west coast between Mazatlán and Puerto Nuevo.  Francisco runs Safaris San Blas, a birding guide service in that area, and was recommended as a guest by Heather Ballash and Marcus Roening when we recorded Episode #64. 

Here is a link to the Safaris San Blas Facebook page where you can find Francisco’s Phone number and email address. 

Here is a link to the ABA A Birder’s Guide to Washington that I praise in the introduction to the episode.

Thanks for listening. Good birding and good day!

On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #60 I talk with Nate Swick, whose job with the ABA is loosely defined as digital content manager, but birders know as the keeper of the ABAs Rare Bird Alerts page, more recently from the ABA Podcast, and as one of the primary faces of the ABA online. Nate is an avid birder, and has helped bring the ABA into the online world in a meaningful way. I enjoyed talking with Nate, and hope you enjoy listening. 

Here is a link to the ABA Join and donate page as promised on the episode.

See the Bird Banter Blog post related to this episode for more information. 

Until next time, Good birding and Good Day!

Jon Anderson is a hard guy to miss on a birding trip.  He is a big guy with a big moustache who is not shy about joining in any conversation, and he enjoys both birding and birders. On this episode we hear about Jon’s birding and career stories as well as about his peregrination in his first year of retirement. Enjoy.

You can contact

Jon by email festuca-at-comcast-dot-net

Be sure to check out the blog post on birdbanter.com where you can read more about this episode and topics we discussed.

Until next time. Good birding and good day!

We record Episode #46 after our 8th consecutive long day of birding in the lower Rio Grande Valley of south Texas, and Ken and Bruce were gracious enough to talk with me about our time here.  To learn more about Ken and Bruce's birding story and our times birding together check out two of my earliest episodes @2 with Ken Brown and #3 with Bruce LaBar.  I think you'll enjoy both of them. 

During this episode we explored much of the valley, and it is far too much for podcast notes to discuss here. Check out the Bird Banter blog at http://birdbanter.com/index.php/category/thebirdbanterpodcastblog/ for a more thourough report. 

Here is a link to the World Birding Center site: http://www.theworldbirdingcenter.com/

Please leave a review and rating on whatever platform you get your podcast feed from, and until next time.

Good birding. Good day!

On this episode I talk with Jason Zolle, a birder I know from Washington who recently moved to Colorado.  Jason and I talk about his birding story and experiences, as well as his work as a non-partisan counsel to the WA legislature, his travels and his art.  Enjoy.

Jason's Art Website is here.

Information about the Rebecca Heisman episode and the book I recommend, Flight Paths is here.

Here is an article about Suciasaurus Rex, Washington's Official State Dinosaur 

A always check out the blog post on BirdBanter.com related to this episode. 

If you have suggestions for guests, or just want to reach out to me use the Contact Page. 

Thanks for listening. Until next time, good birding and good day!

On this episode I talk with Gary Bletsch, a birder from Skagit County, WA who is an avid county birder, a funny guy, and a lot of fun for me to get to know. You'll hear a lot about Skagit County birding, as well as about Gary's travels and his birding story. 

We talk about the Washington birding website WA Birder.   Check it out on this link. 

Here is a link to the trip report for the Pierce County big day I participated in this week.  Bruce LaBar from episode #3, Will Brooks from episode #  and Peter Wimberger from episode # were the other birders on the trip. 

Visit the Bird Banter blog for more details about and related to this episode.

Until next time. Good birding. Good day!

On The Bird Banter Podcast #134 Mike Resch and I talk about his multi-decade quest to see >200 bird species in every continental U.S. state.  He achieved this goal recently on a trip to Montana, as well as reaching another target goal of 15,000 total ABA state and province ticks.  (listen to hear what a “tick” means)  Besides being a realty nice guy, avid and accomplished birder, and inveterate state birder, Mike has visited places and seen beautiful places most of us have never heard of or seen.  For more from Mike check out Episode #33.  Check our Mike's blog here to read about many of his forays into state birding. Enjoy.

Lynn Barber, big year birder in several states and the ABA, and author of three books joins me on this episode of The Bird Banter Podcast. Lynn is an accomplished birder and tireless big year birder. She holds the Texas and Alaska big year records, and until 2016 I believe had the highest ABA Big Year total for a woman.  She has a great story.  Enjoy. 

Lynn lives in Anchorage, and prior to the Covid-19 pandemic got stock of her new book, Big Years, Biggest States: Birding in Texas and Alaska that you can get as a signed copy mailed to you by contacting her on email dalybar@aol.com  Just put book order in the subject line and she'll arrange to send you a copy. 

See the blog post on birdbanter.com to find more details and information related to Lynn and her story. 

Thanks for listening. Good birding.  Good Day!

On this episode I talk with Dave Irons, a top birder, an eBird reviewer, prior regional editor of North American Birds, author of the new book Field Guide to the Birds of Oregon, and a really educational and interesting guest on the podcast.  Enjoy.

Here is a link to buy the Field Guide to the birds of Oregon on Buteo Books.

I mention the episode with Dave's wife Shawneen Finnegan. Here is a link to that episode on Apple Podcasts.  You can find links to several other platforms on the Bird Banter Website.  

Dave talks about the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival.  I strongly recommend it to any birder who wants to attend a great festival. 

Please leave a review and rating on the podcast feed of your choice.

Until next time.

Good birding. Good day!

Do you know anyone who does not love Bird Note, the 2 minute immersion into bird life and lore on NPR radio?  I sure don't. My guest on The Bird Banter Podcast #125, Nick Bayard, is the Executive Director of  Bird Note.  I learned that Bird Note is so much more than the NPR Bird Note Today show. Listen, enjoy and learn. 

Hear Bird Note Daily here. 

Support Bird Note here

Subscribe to Bird Note email list-serv here

Read more about todays episode on the Bird Banter Blog here. 

Until next time,  Good birding and good day!

Backyard birding has become somewhat a national if not worldwide hobby for many during Covid times, and on this episode Tammy Poppie, creator of the website On The Feeder is my guest.  We talk about how to keep birds safer with proper feeder cleaning, bird window strikes, and overall how to enjoy the birds in your yard.

As always check out the associated blog post on BirdBanter.com for more links and info. 

Until next time. Good birding and good day!

On this episode I talk with Jordan Boersma.  Jordan is without a doubt the first guest I know of who has had to avoid pirates to get to an island expedition, though John Sterling did worry about cannibals in one of his early work experiences that he talks about on the podcast. Jordan is working on his PhD at Washington State University, and we talk about his study of testosterone levels in female White-shouldered Fairywrens, ice worms and Gray-crowned Rosy Finches on Mt. Rainier and more.  Enjoy.

See Jordan's website to look at his research or contact him via Twitter @jordan_boresma 

Until next time. Good birding. Good day!

On this episode I talk with Seattle area bird----more----er Bryony Angell, who is a professional writer with many published articles related to birding. Much of her recent work is related to women in birding and the birding experience from a woman's perspective.  

You can reach Bryony on her website here.

Read more about Bryony, and topics discussed on the episode on the Bird Banter blog post related to this episode. 

Here is a link to the article about women only birding trips we mentioned on the episode.  The Guatamalan female guides we mentioned were Claudia Avandaño who led my trip and Ana Paula Oxom is the guide leading an upcoming Guatamala trip. 

Until next time, good birding and good day!

Matthew Bell, a Connecticut birder and travel specialist with the Connecticut Audubon Society  is my guest on this episode. Matt got passionate about birding while at Ohio State University after a trip to Costa Rica, and on getting back to Ohio helped revive the Ornighology Club there.  We talk about his work at Connecticut Audubon, his birding experiences, and birding in Connecticut. 

If you have suggestions for guests you'd like to hear from, contact me here and I'll be grateful. 

As always the blog post on BirdBanter.com has more links and details on topics related to this episode. Thanks for listening. Good birding and good day!

On this episode I talk with Iván Lau, the birding guide I used on a recent brief trip to Medellin, Colombia.  Iván was really top notch, and we got in a lot of birding in the 3 days I had available.  Medellin was beautiful, the birds were spectacular, and the experience was great.  

You can contact Iván at on Instagram @ivanlaulovera or by email at 

On this episode I talk with two young Washington State birders who are good friends, who met in an unusual circumstance, and who undertook big years in 2021.  Jason saw the 9th highest total species list ever seen in the lower 48 states, while documenting every sighting by photo or audio means, and did so while maximizing the fun, adventure and wonderlust experience of the year. Will broke the Washington State big year record by 6 species in a year when arguably the top vagrant location was closed to birding.  Both great accomplishments and it made for a lot of fun conversation. Enjoy.

See the Bird Banter blog post for lots more details.

Follow Jason's Instagram accounting of the big year. @Jason2021BigYear

Watch a video on Seattle News 5 for a brief discussion of Will's year.

On this episode I talk with the authors of the new identification field guide to Empidonax flycatchers and Pewees as well as the book on Myarchus flycatchers and Kingbirds, Cin-Ty Lee and Andrew Birch. We talk about their longtime birding friendship, their birding stories, and the new books.  

Check out the books at your favorite book resource.  Field Guide to North American Flycatchers: Empidonax and Pewees and Kingbirds and Myiarchus.

Read more and see a book review on the BirdBanter.com blog.