Bird Banter

How do birds fly anyway?  Well, in an incredible number of ways, adapted to their needs and circumstances. Birds have evolved from dinosaurs, some have evolved to not fly, others to fly in so many different habitats, circumstances and ways that to understand all of this is beyond human comprehension, but my guest on this episode, Dr. Peter Cavanagh, has set out to help readers understand a lot of what is understood, in a way that a...

Rick Szabo is a birder, birding guide, and participant on the current NBC series Destination X, a reality TV competition where Rick's superpower is his knowledge of the range and distribution of the birds of most areas of the world. He remains in the competition at the time this episode drops, so watch to see if he can win the competition. Rick and his wife also make birding and travel videos you can watch on his You Tube channel a...

On this episode I Suzy Buttress, the host and creator of The Casual Birder Podcast, talk about her birding story, her podcast, and her community of birders that she has nurtured around her podcast audience.  It is a good story of advocacy, ambassadorship, and enthusiasm for birding, and I admire her work. 

Just prior to recording this episode, Suzy and I talked with me as her guest for her podcast, so that was a different experienc...

Dr. Erick Masias and I talk about his relatively recent and intense start as a birder, and his involvement in the Chicago birding community, the BIPOC birding community, the local birding scene in Chicago, and about his upcoming move to the central California Bay area for residency.  I really enjoyed hearing his story and stories.  I hope you do too.

Paper on the breeding and migration of high Arctic breeding Sabine's Gulls. 

The J...

I met Gabriel Willow when his trip and the western Colombian Andes trip I took with Molly Brown and Hillstar Nature Tours overlapped.  I learned about common experiences I share with Gabriel, growing up in small towns in Maine, birding in and around NYC (admittedly much less for me) and was excited when Gabriel agreed to talk for the podcast.  Check out Gabriel's NYC area and other tours on his website. 

See more links on the Bird...

The American Birding Association is an organization I as a birder sometimes take for granted. I love getting Birding magazine, and especially North American Birds regularly, but wanted to really learn a lot more about the organization I've been a member of for years, but never really looked at carefully. Wayne helps a lot, by educating me about what the ABA does, and for me, better understanding why I should continue to support the...

In case the masquerade ball thumbnail is not enough, David, the creator of Birdiegame, the very popular daily bird ID photo quiz, chooses to remain anonymous.  I had a blast talking with David, and the game is one of my joys each morning. Check it out. Birdie Game

We talk about the game, but also about a number of other things. One of David's personal passions is seeing and finding owls. I mention a prior episode with the Urban Bir...

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, Wash...

It;s great tio be back.  After a long hiatus to attend the birth of my first two grandchildren in Costa Rica, and then a birding trip to Colombia, the podcast is back.  On this episode Bruce LaBar (remember episode #3) and I recap our Colombia trip.  It was a terrific trip with Hillstar Nature Tours, and leader Mollee Brown and Yessenia Tapasco.  

Check out my trip report on eBird where lots of photos from many of the participants ...

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 Kei...

On this episode Alex and I talk about how he has enjoyed birding in Eastern Washington as a Washington State University student, after birding in the Seattle area for most of his early birding days.  We also talk about his mammal WA big year in 2022, his birding story, and more.

Enjoy. 

Reach Alex by text, his phone number is on his eBird profile, or by email sowersalexander1- at- gmail- dot - com 

On the Birdbanter.com blog post a...

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...

On this episode Melissa and I talk about her new book, Dare to Bird: Exploring the Joy and Healing Power of Birds as well as her recent travels. Melissa was a guest on Episode #105 in July 2021 where you can hear more about her background and birding story.  

Find her new book whereever books are sold. Here you can find it on Buteo Books. 

You can read more about Melissa's experiences and the book in an article in Audubon Magazine....

I don't know many birders who may be better known by a reputational moniker than by their real name, but The Urban Birder, David Lindo, may be my first.  I had certainly heard of someone called The Urban Birder, but only looked up who this was after Diane Yorgensen-Quinn put out notice of a trip David is planning to take Diand, Faye and likely other members of our ABC Birding Club on to see the Short-eared Owls of Kikinda, Serbia t...

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 Ezeki...

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 ...

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 Pro...

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 episo...