Sometimes while recording a podcast episode I wish I had more time to visit with and get to know a guest. This episode with Debbie Beer was one of those times. She has a goal to bird in each of the 50 states with her sister, and to see 50 species in each state. This is a standing invite to Debbie and her sister to visit WA and I’ll show them the state and far more than their goal of 50 species.
I also mention Blair Bernson as a resource for this goal, and his website. Blair was a guest previously and we talk about his quest to see 50 species in a day in each of the 50 states while birding with a local birder.
Debbie Beer is a birder, traveler, and works at Nature Lands, a land trust in the Delaware Valley area. We talk about her birding and travels. Sometimes on an episode it is fun when I learn that I share experiences with a guest. Both Debbie and I have birded in Kenya and Morocco, as well as the greater NYC area. Enjoy.
Debbie is active in the Delaware Valley Ornithologic Club, and won the Bob Billings Big Year award in 2020.

On the episode we talk about birding in Africa. I visited Kenya with my late wife Kay, Bruce Labar and leaders John Sterling and James Bradley. On the episode I say we birded from the east to the coast. Actually we started in Nairobi at Nairobi National Park, worked our way west all the way to Lake Narusha and the Kakamega Forest then looped back east seeing Tsavo West and Tsavo East and ending our trip at the coast near Watamu. My eBird list has Kenya as the country with the second most species of any country after the U.S. at 548 species. A spectacular trip.

Interestingly Debbie also toured Morocco, and that is the only other African place I’ve birded. Pervious guests Bruce LaBar, Heather Ballash and Marcus Roening were also on this trip with me. The really cold place I mention on the episode was in the Atlas Mountains at a ski area.
Here is a link to a podcast episode with Michael Carmody, the trip leader for the Morocco trip.
The John Heinz NWR sounds great. Here is a link to their web site and the eBird hotspot

After recording this episode I did manage to get out to see my county first White-Breasted Nuthatch with Bruce LaBar at the backyard feeders of a really friendly homeowner.
I hope this finds all of you happy, healthy and finding birding good as winter progresses and spring is around the corner.
Until next time. Good birding. Good day!