On this episode I get back with Dorian Anderson, one of my earliest guest from Episode #5. Many of you will remember Dorian as the crazy young man who bicycled, birded and blogged his way across the U.S. as he solidified his sobriety and literally blazed new trails on the frontier of bicycle birding. His story is about not just a biking big year, but about his personal growth, addictions, and healing. Read all about it in his new book Birding Under the Influence: Cycling Across America in Search of Birds and Recovery. Enjoy hearing another part of his story here.
Michael Hobbs, a Seattle birder, leader and recordkeeper of the weekly bird survey at the Marymoor Park weekly bird walk and survey that has been going on for 30 years, avid WA county birder, webmaster for Washington Birds, a webmasater for Washington Birders to use for all things WA birding, and all-around top WA birder is my guest on this episode. Enjoy.
Will Greeley, author of the new book “Connecticut Yankee Goes to Washington: Senator George P. McLean, Birdman of the Senate”, is my guest on this episode. I learned a lot about the importance of this key treaty in the conservation of birds and about the early 20th Century in our country. I hope you enjoy hearing Will’s story as much as I did.
On this episode I talk with Frank Izaguirre, an editor of the American Birding Association journal Birding, and currently working on his PhD discertation in English. Here lots about field guides and the role thay play and have played in conservation.
On this episode I talk with John Oshlick, a birder from Connecticut. He took time to pull off the highway on the way home from driving to see some of the American Pelicans that were blown north by Hurricane Idalia. I enjoyed hearing his story and stories, and hope you do too.
eBird has revolutionized and democratized birding. Birders an now know what birds have been seen where, and know the best places to find birds free and online. Now my guests Ken Ostermiller and Adam Jackson have created an ancillary website to help birders know the best way to go birding at any eBird hotspot. This is a cool tool, and they tell a great story. Enjoy go to BirdingHotspots.org and join the crowdsource of data for the site.
Molly Adams and Sydney Golden Anderson are my guest on this episode. Molly was the founder of the Feminist Bird Club in New York City, and Sydney has been an active member of the Chicago club until moving to Colorado recently. They wrote a new book, Birding for a Better World: A Guide to Finding Joy and Community in Nature. I loved hearing their stories of how to be more inclusive and inviting to new birders who might be uncomfortable or feel unwelcome in the birding community.
Greg Harrington is a Washington State birder and school teacher who on this episode talks about his birding story, how he became a proficient and passionate birder in a short few years, and about his recent travels and WA big year. Enjoy.
Scott Harris, a recent convert to passionate birding, is my guest on this episode, and we talk about his quest to see all of the raptors of the Lower-48, the book he wrote about the quest, and about his birding story and aspirations.
He is also a writer of Western novels and more, and overall an interesting guy. Enjoy.
Dan Scheiman and I talk about Arkansas birding, his work with the Delta Audubon Society’s Plant for Birds program, his birding story and more on this episode of the Bird Banter Podcast. Enjoy.
Ken Brown, see episide #2, and I are back from a Hatteras, N.C. Gulf Stream pelagic trip, and we talk about that and our other birding travels. Birding is fun. Birding travel is really fun. Birding travel with a great birding buddy is hard to beat. Enjoy.
Fellow Washington birder Rebeccca Heisman and author of the new book Flight Paths and I talk on this episode about the people and science behind the amazing progress in understanding bird migration. I’m not sure which is more compelling, the stories of the people, or the methods of tracking and mapping the movement of our feathered friends. Both are pretty cool, and Rebecca Heisman. I think you’ll enjoy hearing her birding, writing and research stories.
Bryony Angell is my guest on The Bird Banter Podcast #152, and we talk about her niche writing professionally about birding, especially about women in birding. She is a second generation Seattle area birder, and writes articles for man of the well known nature and birding journals and magazines. She is a strong advocate for women in birding and I enjoyed talking with her.
Well, I’m back with a more typical podcast episode with Jim Kettelman as my guest for The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #151. Jim is a recently retired physician from Iowa City, Iowa, and we talk about his birding story, birding Iowa, and backyard habitat and of course more. Enjoy.
I havn’t quit doing the podcast episodes, but have been on a big winter trip. Here is a short episode about birding and traveling in the Florida Keys and Costa Rica until I’m back to having great guests. Thanks for listening.
Mikuláš Řimánek is my guest for The Bird Banter Podcast #149, and I was excited to hear from Mik for lots of reasons. First I had a really fond memories of birding with Mik when he visited the U.S. years ago as a Rotary Exchange Student. In addition I was excited to learn about his work with a young birders program in his country that sounded very exciting. I really enjoyed our conversation and hope you do too.
Holly Merker is my guest on The Bird Banter Podcast #148, and we talk in detail about Holly’s passion for helping birders and potential birders use birding and nature as a means of healing. Ornitheapy is the topic of her new book Ornitherapy: For Your Mind, Body and Soul. I have started reading it and using some of the explorations, and I have to say it is a powerful message. Enjoy.
Many of us keep life lists of the birds we have seen over the course of our lives. For some of us this is a passion, for others an incidental part of birding. For Peter Kaestner, my guest on the Bird Banter Podcast #146 it has been a lifelong endeavor that has led to a life list of birds seen in the world that for most of us is unimmaginable. The story of how he has accomplished this incredible feat, of seeing more species of birds than any other living human is only part of what you’ll hear on this episode. Enjoy.
Big Years are very popular among birders, most famously the year featured in the movie the Big Year, but also in areas as varied as yard lists to the whole world. On this episode I talk with the Stoll brothers, Victor and Ruben, about their 2022 record setting big year in the lower-49 United States. They shatter the record, but also have great stories to tell about the year and their lives as birders. I expect you’ll enjoy hearing from this extraordinary brother birding team.
I met George Armistead on my recent Antarctic expedition cruise, and it was very obvious that he was a birder who I wanted as a guest on the podcast. He is not just a brilliant birder, but is personanble, fun to talk with, and a nice guy. He has a podcast with previous guest Alvaro Jaramillo and Mollee Brown, Lifelist: A Birding Podcast which I enjoy, so I knew he would be fun to talk with. He agreed to do the episode, so enjoy The Bird Banter Podcast #144 with George Armistead.
I recently returned from an expedition cruise to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica. It was a trip like no other for me, and I talk about the trip and related topics on The Bird Banter Podcast #143. Enjoy.
On The Bird Banter Podcast #142 Francis Canto Jr. and I talk about birding in Belize, his birding story, and the extraordinary hawk watch in Belize where huge numbers of Hook-billed Kites can be seen. Enjoy.
On The Bird Banter Podcast #141 I talk with Oklahoma birders, father and son Mathew and Levi Radford. It was fun to hear from them and their excellent family and birding relationship. Levi is just starting his first year of college at Oklahoma State University, and Mathew continues to bird with and without his son. Enjoy.
On The Bird Banter Podcast #140 Doug Hitchcox and I talk about his remarkable feat of seeing 400 species in the state of Maine, his work with Maine Audubon, and his birding story and experiences. Doug is a fascinating and eloquent birder, and I trust you’ll enjoy listening.
On Episode #139 Deborah Green and I talk about the upcoming North Shore Bird Festival in central Florida on the north shore of Lake Apopka, her birding story, the work of the Orange Audubon Society and more. Enjoy.
On Episode #138 Alex Harper and I talk about birding in Sin City, a.k.a. Las Vegas, NV. Many people visit Las Vegas, and if you are interested in getting out birding while there all you need to do is contact Alex or one of his fellow guides at BirdLasVegas.com website. Enjoy hearing about birding in Las Vegas.
On Episode #137 Tammy Poppie and I talk about backyard birding and bird feeders. This is a departure from my typical episodes and guests where we are more focused on birding as it relates to bird ID, travel, listing and birders. I hope this episode is interesting to a wider audience, and covers topics that are interesting and helpful to many. Enjoy.
On Episode #136 Matt Goff and I talk about birding in Southeast Alaska, his long-running radio show “Sitka Nature”, and more. Matt is a hyper-focused local naturalist in the Sitka area.
On Episode #135 Sarah Swanson and I talk about her new book, her birding story, birding in the Portland, OR area, and lots more. It was really great to hear from Sarah and espcially to help me remember how important it is to keep an open mind about inclusivity in the birding community.
On Episode 134 I welcome back Mike Resch, a previous guest on Episode #33, to talk more about his state birding accomplishments, his birding story, the really cool experience of getting to know many of the beautiful spots for not just birding but other natural wonders of all 49 of the continental U.S. Enjoy.
On Episode #133 Dan Casey and I talk about his decades of experience birding Montana, his birding story and lots more. I think you’ll enjoy hearing from Dan as much as I enjoyed talking with him.
Hear from Matt Aeberhard about making movies in some of the most remote and spectacular areas of the planet. Also about his current project, his birding story and more on The Bird Banter Podcast #132 with Matt Aeberhard.
On The Bird Banter Podcast #131 Marcos Trinidad and I talk about his birding story, his work on inclusivity in birding, the Debs Park Audubon Center, and lots more. Marcos is an inspiration and has lots to teach us, so I think you’ll enjoy.
On the Bird Banter Podcast #130 I talk with Bill Young, a birder from Virginia about his birding story, and his longtime birding experiences at the Monticallo Park in Arlington, VA. Bill has a focused interest in bird behavior, and has published on this subject and has a website MPNature dedicated to this park and the wildlife and fauna of the park. Enjoy.
It was excellent to be home, back to producing a more typical Bird Banter Podcast episode with Jackie Lindsey and Charlie Wright of COASST. We talk about the work of the Coastal Survey and Seabird Survey Team work, as well as about seabird oceanic threats, the “blob” and more on Episode #129. Enjoy.
On these two episodes I talk about my road trip roughly following the Great River Road from New Orleans north along the river as far as Davenport, Iowa, and then on to Omaha. These episodes are different in that they are solo, no guest, just Ed on birds and birding.
On The Bird Banter Podcast #128 Alex Marine and I talk about birding in Missouri, his Missouri big year in 2021 and his birding story. Alex had a great year last year, and helps me learn more about birding the state before I leave on my Great River Road trip up the flyway. Enjoy.
On the Bird Banter Podcast #127 Raphael Fennimore and I talk about his record breaking 2022 King County, WA big year, his birding story, marine mammals and more. Enjoy.
On The Bird Banter Podcast #126
Dr. Daniel Klem and I talk about his lifetime work studying bird collisions with glass surfaces, its outsized and very important role in the loss of our bird populations, and what can be done to help. I encourage all bird lovers to listen to this episode and take action to help. You can make a difference.
On The Bird Banter Podcast #125 Nick Bayard and I talk about BirdNote, the not-for-profit that produces BirdNote Daily, often heard on NPR, but also other longer podcasts and more. Nick also has a good birding story of his own. Enjoy.
On Episode #124 Michael Todd, a top Tennessee birder, and I talk about Tennessee birding, his birding story, and more. I learned a lot about birding Tennessee, and enjoyed hearing Michael’s story. I hope you enjoy too.
On Episode #123 David and Dee Simpson and I talk about birding in Florida, their birding guide services, her blog about nature and poetry and lots more. David is a wealth of information about everything Florida. Enjoy.
On Episode #122 Tiffany Kersten talks about her record breaking 2021 Lower-48 big year, her birding story, and her work to increase awareness of safety issues for women in nature. I enjoyed hearing her story, and learning about her year. The ABA first Bat Falcon on her home turf was a great way to break the record. Enjoy.
On The Bird Banter Podcast #121 two Washington State birders who did 2021 big years, who are good friends and superb birders, talk about their years and more. Will broke the Washington State big year record. Jason is in the top 10 Lower 48 Big Year totals ever and had an epic, enjoyable and incredible year of birding. Enjoy.
How many birders have birded in Area 51? Not many I’m guessing. Bob Flores, my guest on The Bird Banter Podcast #120 has done that along with his stories of National Wildlife Refuges across the U.S. and more on this episode.
Imagine spending 5 years travelling throughout South America in a small camper, birding, meeting people, supporting conservation causes, and making fabulous videos about birds
That is what my guests, Michael and Paula Webster did in the 5 years prior to the Covid pandemic. Hear lots about it on The Bird Banter Podcast #119 with Michael and Paula Webster.
On The Bird Banter Podcast #118 Jim Danzenbaker and I talk about birding from the Antarctic area to Christmas Bird Counts in Washington, counting Swainson’s Thrushes overhead in Battleground, WA and more. Enjoy
Joe Morlan, longtime California birder, birding class teacher, California Bird Records Committee member, webmaster and lots more is my guest on The Bird Banter Podcast #117. Joe is a great story teller and has great stories to tell. He has taught nearly two generations of birders in the San Francisco area, was a big part of the 1970’s and 1980’s era of birding discovery and passion that changed birding in the U.S. I think you’ll enjoy his story.
Charlie Wright is my guest on The Bird Banter Podcast #116, and we talk about Charlie’s birding story as a young birder in the area where I was living. He was an early eBird reviewer, has birded and worked extensively in Alaska doing field ornithology research, as well as on research vessels off the Pacific coast. I am confident you’ll enjoy hearing Charlie’s story. Enjoy.
iván Lau is my guest on The Bird Banter Podcast #115, and we talk about birding in Colombia, our recent trip there and Iván’s birding story. Iván is a top Colombia birder, a talented guide and I recommend him for anyone wanting a Colombia bird guide. Enjoy.
On Episode #114 Zach Poland, Oklahoma birder and I talk about his birding experiences in Oklahoma where the wind blows and the winter sparrows and longspurs can be found. He is a great ambassador for Oklahoma birding, and has an enjoyable birding story. I can’t wait to get to Oklahoma in winter, and maybe trade our Puget Sound drizzle for some Oklahoma wind. Enjoy.
On episode #113 I talk about molt, the process by which birds replace their feathers. It is a topic birders IMO either love or hate, embrace or try to ignore. I am far from expert, but try to break molt and the modified Humphrey-Parkes System down to its real basics. I also explain in advance why there is likely to be a few weeks without new episodes while I travel. Good birding.
On The Bird Banter Podcast #112 I talk with Kansas birder Pete Janzen. Learn about the unexpectedly great birding in Kansas, his birding story, and more. Enjoy.
On The Bird Banter Podcast #111 with Mason Maron we talk about his upcoming research into the diet of Gray-crowned Rosy Finches and how their diet may have changed over the last 60 years. We also hear his birding story, about birding on and around Washington State University and more. Enjoy.
On the Bird Banter Podcast #110 with Andy Stepniewski we talk about Andy’s interest and passion for the Shrub-Steppe Habitat that is so special near his home in Yakima County, Washington, his early birding story and mentors, his work on the Washington Birder’s Guide, and more. Enjoy.
On Episode #109 of The Bird Banter Podcast we are back to talking birding in the ABA area after a couple of episodes featuring U.K. guests. Jason Vassallo is doing a 2021 ABA Big Year not really despite the pandemic, but in a way motivated by the pandemic, recent college graduation, and thinking that a big year was more enticing than the job prospects in late 2020- early 2021. Jason is having a great year. Enjoy hearing his story.
Episode #108 of The Bird Banter Podcast features Sophie Wickham, warden of the Holme Bird Observatory in Norfolk County, England. We talk about her role there, the British Bird Observatory system, birding in Great Britain and more. Enjoy.
Episode #107 brings David Waters to The Bird Banter Podcast. I first met David in 2014 when he told me and showed me about his efforts to reintroduce the Great Bustard to England. Crazy stories about rescuing eggs in Siberia after nests were destroyed by farm machinery, dressing in strange outfits to raise the young and more. Hear David’s story and enjoy.
My guests on The Bird Banter Podcast #106 are Diego Calderón and Chris Bell, the hosts of The Birder’s Show on You Tube. It is a fabulous new series featuring birders and their stories. Enjoy the episode and check out their show too.
On The Bird Banter Podcast #105 Melissa Hafting, a top B.C. Canada birder is my guest and we talk about her great leadership as a mentor and field trip leader for young birders in British Columbia as well as her birding story and experiences. Don’t miss it.
On The Bird Banter Podcast #104 R. Bruce Richardson and I talk about his Year of Australian Birding, his career as an entertainer and more. Hear about the avifauna, the birding places and about living on the road for an entire year in Australia. Enjoy.
On The Bird Banter Podcast #103 I talk about birding with friends, mentorship and our first trip as a birding club after the Covid restrictions have been relaxed and we could get vaccinated. Enjoy.
What could possibly tempt a lifelong accomplished birder to change their primary passion from birding to the study of beetles. Listen to hear the birding, and beetle story of Russell Rogers, a birder I met during his time in Washington State, and who has made birding a secondary passion to his study and search for beetles. Enjoy.
Bluebirds are birds that catch the imagination of birders and non-birders alike. Beautiful, gentle, and in recent decades being forced out of their neighborhoods by exotic introduced species, our North American bluebirds are three species most of us love to see and admire. My guest on The Bird Banter Podcast #101, Kathleen Foley, does more than admire these gems. She is working to bring them back to San Juan Island. A cool story. Listen and enjoy.
Father and Daughter birders Scott and Sierra Downes are my guests on The Bird Banter Podcast #100. We talk about their experiences birding together, Scott’s work with WDFW in shrub-steppe habitat and more. Enjoy.
Phil Green is a San Juan Island birder who was the resident Nature Conservancy caretaker for the Yellow Island Perserve for almost 2 decades. Hear about life and birding on an island in the Puget Sound, his birding on San Juan Island after retirement, audio recording and more on The Bird Banter Podcast #99 with Phil Green.
I’m home from a much anticipated and long delayed visit with my family in Costa Rica. The birding was great and the challenge of having a great family visit and enjoying the birding kept things interesting. The bird guides I met and used were great, and very grateful to have work after the long Covid lapse in work.
Jordan Boersma and I talk about his PhD work in Papua New Guinea on White-shouldered Fairywrens, but I was most fascinated by his needing to avoid pirates to get to the island, needing to negotiate with local landowners for access to their property, his work on ice worms and Gray-crowned Rosy Finches at Mt. Rainier and his whole adventure story history. Pretty interesting and cool stuff IMO. Enjoy.
Neil Paprocki is a raptor researcher working on his PhD at the University of Idaho. He has experience with hawk watches, California Condor conservation, and we talk at length about Rough-legged Hawk seasonal movement. Cool stuff for raptor lovers and birders in general. I learned lots, and hope you do too. Enjoy.
Eric Heisey talks on the Bird Banter Podcast #95 about his studies and work with Savannah Sparrows on an island in the Bay of Fundy, his experiences birding the Methow Valley of N. Central WA during the winter of the Covid-19 pandemic and more. I really enjoyed talking with Eric, and hope you enjoy listening too.
Jon Anderson is my guest on The Bird Banter Podcast #94. Jon is a birder I’ve known for some time in Washington, but enjoyed getting to know better as we talk on this episode. He has worked in wildlife conservation for many years, and has been a birder during that career. He is now retired and recently finished a “perigrination” where he wandered over much of the U.S. to see places and birds he had not seem before. Enjoy.
Debbie Beer and I talk about her enjoyment of birding with her sister, working with a land trust, and goal of birding in every U.S. State. She is a bundle of energy, fun to talk with, and someone I think you’ll enjoy hearing from on The Bird Banter Podcast #93.
Our migratory hummingbirds will return soon. Get your hummingbird fix from Cyndi Routledge of the Southeastern Avian Research Project on this episode of The Bird Banter Podcast.
Alex Patia and I talk about his birding story and experiences, along with his work, travel and education on this episode of The Bird Banter Podcast. Enjoy.
Cameron Cox is my guest on The Bird Banter Podcast #90. We talk about lots of things birding, but his insight and experience with identification of birds in flight, especially when distant or briefly seen had helped him develop skills at this aspect of birding that he has thought about and can put into an understandable framework that we discuss. Enjoy.
The first episode of the Bird Banter Podcast was published 2 years ago tomorrow, and with the inauguration of a new president after the start of a new year I was compelled to look back at the last two years and reminisce. I hope you enjoy looking back at the first 2 years of The Bird Banter Podcast in this episode.
Professional story teller and birder Brian “Fox” Ellis and I talk about story telling as an integral part of our birding experience, his career as a story teller, writer and entertainer, and more on The Bird Banter Episode #88. Enjoy.
Dan Cooper and I talk about his birding story, his work as an ecologial monitoring consultant, and more on the Bird Banter Podcast #87 Enjoy.
Jason Westlake is a self-described traveller who is also an avid birder. A great combination of passions. He lives in Costa Rica and we talk about his birding there, his travel, and his life as a traveler. Enjoy.’
Jonah Gula is a birder, graduate student and African Stork advocate and researcher. We talked about these things and more on The Bird Banter Podcast #85. Enjoy.
Patch birding is underrated by many of us. I loved talking with Larry Hubbell on The Bird Banter Podcast #84 and hearing about his longstanding passion for his local patch, Union Bay on Lake Washington, Seattle. We also talk about conservation issues in that area. Enjoy.
County Birding. Bird Records Committee work. Matt Bartels is a champion of both, and has a cool story to tell. Check it out on The Bird Banter Podcast #83 with Matt Bartels.
If you think of Owls and you are like me you think of Paul Bannick, and if a woodpecker comes along, well that clinches the deal. Hear the birding, photography and conservation story of Paul Bannick and learn a lot along with me on The Bird Banter Podcast #82 with Paul Bannick.
Habitat is king. Florence Reed, Patrick McMillan and I talk about how the small family farms in the tropical areas have huge impact on places for many of our neotropic migrants to winter. It’s not just about bird-friendly coffee, but the millions of subsistance family farms that when using sustainable agroforestry techniques can provide great habitat while providing healthy food and income for small landholders. I learned a lot this episode. Enjoy.
Darren Clark and I talk about birding in Idaho, photography, and his birding stories and more on The Bird Banter Podcast #80 with Darren Clark. Darren is the top eBird Idaho lister, and an eBird Idaho reviewer. Enjoy.
On The Bird Banter Podcast #79 Lynn Barber and I talk about her IMHO incredible big year quests. Lynn is the record holder for big years in the two biggest U.S. states, Texas and Alaska, and has done a huge ABA Big year, along with big years in S. Dakota too. She has books about these years, and was really fun to talk with. Enjoy.
Tom Bancroft is my guest on the latest episode of The Bird Banter Podcast. I know Tom from is time on the WOS board as secretary, as well as his fine writing for the WOS newsletter. Tom has worked for National Audubon and other agencies in conservation roles, and has become a fine bird photographer. Enjoy the episode.
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John Patten Moss returns to The Bird Banter Podcast on Episode #77 to tell us about his Covid-19 shortened 2020 Unicycle Birding adventure. It’s a story worth hearing. Enjoy.
This episode is a bit different from most of my podcast episodes. I am recovering from a hip replacement this week, and not being up to sitting to record an episode with a guest, I decided to try an idea I’ve been toying with for some time. This episode may be of interest to the non-birding or less passionate birding friends and families of my usual listeners, but I hope you all enjoy it too. Feel free to share my musings about 5 of the most widespread and common species in the U.S.
Matt Yawney and I talk about his successes finding vagrants in Grant County, WA, his birding story, and more on The Bird Banter Podcast #75. Enjoy.
Jason Fidorra and I talk about his birding story, his current work as the wildlife manager for Benton and Franklin Counties for the WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, the unique aspects and challenges of the shrub-steppe habitat, and lots more on The Bird Banter Podcast #73. Enjoy.
Kimball Garrett is my guest on The Bird Banter Podcast #72 and we talk about his extensive experience in birding Los Angeles County, CA along with his work at the L.A. Natural History Museum, his birding story and his birding interests in bird distribution. Enjoy.
Beginning birders, birders giving suggestions on birding resources to other birders, and birders wanting to hear another point of view, may enjoy The Bird Banter Podcast #71: Ed on Birding Resources where I talk about resources I like to use and suggest for birding enjoyment.
It’s always fun to talk to someone who is passionate about what they do, and when that person is also eloquent and incredibly knowledable it can be really special. I am describing Peter Hodum and our talk on this episode of The Bird Banter Podcast. Enjoy.
What’s not great about a near-tropical Latin American birding spot where you can bird numerous different habitats, see a large number and variety of birds, and do it all on short trips from a delightful small city with great local culture and amenities? Hear about birding the San Blas, Nayarit, Mexico area on The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #69 with Francisco Garcia. Enjoy.
It was such a pleasure for me to talk with Dennis Paulson on this Episode #68 of The Bird Baner Podcast. Dennis is a bird, dragonfly, and nearly every other creature in nature expert, and so much fun to talk with. I know you’ll enjoy.
On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #67 I talk with Dr. Roger Lederer, retired ornighologist and creator of ornithology.com about ornithology, birding and his story. Enjoy.
On the Bird Banter Podcast Episode #66 Andrew Emlen and I sit outdoors after a day of birding and talk about everything from birding to his Swamp Opera Band and birding by Kayak. Enjoy.
On The Bird Banter Piodcast Episode #65 I talk with Patrick O’Donnell.
Patrick is based in San Jose, Costa Rica, and we talk about birding in the neotropics as wekk as hearing his birding history Enjoy.
Heather Ballash and Marcus Roening sit with me in their garage in Tacoma, practicing proper social distancing as we talk about their Mexico birding, birding as a couple, and our Pierce County birding friends. Enjoy.
While sitting on the side of an old logging road on Jasper Mountain in the northern Blue Mountains of southeastern Washington, and watching a trio of Great Gray Owlets branching Mike Denny sits and holds court on the owls, the region and birding in general on The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #63. Enjoy.
My daughter Jean and I talk about her work in Costa Rica, transforming a cow pasture and a lawn into a food forest, and about her work to help local residents produce food for themselves and as a cash crop in an environmentally friendly way. I hope you enjoy The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #62 con mi hija mejor, Jean Pullen.
Stefan Schlick and I talk about his birding career, from moving to the U.S. from Germany as a young man, to being a top Oregon birder and trip leader now. Stefan also shares about his more recent interest in butterflies and dragonflies in a way that helped me get excited about these new quests. Enjoy.
Hear Nate Swick, digital content manager for the American Birding Association tell about his career at the ABA and his birding story, along with general birding banter on The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #60.
On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #59 Gary Bletsch and I talk about county birding, especially Skagit County, WA where Gary has birded extensively. Gary is an avid eBirder and has submitted more eBird lists than all but 14 other birders worldwide, about 90% of those lists from Skagit County. Enjoy.
On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #58 I talk with Dave Irons, a birder supreme, author of a recent book on the Birds of Oregon, eBird reviewer, prior regional editor for the Birds of North America, and enjoyable guest. Have fun listening.
On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #57 Pete Salmansohn, known as Puffin Pete, talks about his 30+ years as an educator helping children, tourists and others learn about the Puffin Project, seabird reintroduction and threats to their populations, and I learn a lot about how this group in Maine discovered how to reintroduce seabird populations to some of their historical range. A really cool story. Enjoy.
On Episode #56 I talk with Mike Bergin, originator and force behind 10,000 Birds, the biggest birding blog on the internet, and a birder who travels extensively to some of the best birding sites on earth. Enjoy.
On Episode #55 I talk with Suzie Gilbert, bird rehabilitator and auther of the new novel Unflappable, which is available on Amazon or at Barnes and Noble. We talk about her bird rehab experiences, the human imposed risks to birds, and her new book and the events that led up to her being an author or a children’s book, a memoir and now this novel.
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On Episode #54 Nate Chappell talks about his early birding years in Tacoma, the influence of his brother as a birder and his Dad as a photographer, and about his Trogon Photo Tours business. Good listening.
On Episode #53 Ryan Merrill is my guest on The Bird Banter Podcast. Ryan is among the very top Washington State birders, works on the Bird Records Committee, as an eBird Reviewer and is a rare-bird finding magician. He is also a super-nice guy, and was fun to talk with. Enjoy.
On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #52 I talk with a musician-birder Stephanie Seymour, who recently released the album There Are Birds to critical acclaim on a review by the ABA and others. Listen to her story and some of her music on this episode.
After returning from my Lower Rio Grande Valley trip, I got an email from a Florida birder who had used episode #46 where I talk with Ken and Bruce about our time birding the valley as a template for her trip there with a good birding buddy. After some communication we decided to do this episode with Lane Epps and her longtime birding friend Corrie Fulsom-O’Keefe as Episode #51. Enjoy.
On the Bird Banter Podcast Episode #50 I talk with Nathanael Swecker, Tacoma area birder, Current president of the Tahoma Audubon Society, and maybe the birder with the most experience birding JBLM, the huge military post in the South Puget Sound area. Enjoy.
I’m home from South Texas, and after chasing and seeing the Siberian Accentor I took time to sit down, think about my time in the valley, and record The Bird Banter Episode #49: Home from Texas.
On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #48 with Mary Gustafson I sit at the National Butterfly Center in Hidalgo County, TX and talk with local legend and birder extraordinaire Mary Gustafson. A real highlight of my time in Texas this winter. Enjoy.
Hear Ryan Rodriguez and me talk birding on The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #47. Ryan is a 12-year old birder from McAllen, TX where I am staying this month, and has a great story. Who else learned to read by studying the Sibley Guide as a 4-year old.
Episode #46 is a special one for me as two great birding friends and I talk about our birding trip to the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas on the night of the last full day. Enjoy.
On Episode #45 with Annie Meyer we talk about her birding story, her travel, work and birding as a field biologist after her education, and many things birding. Enjoy her energy and enthusiasm.
On Episode #44 I talk with Clarice Clark and Jerry Broadus, local friends, birders, and volunteer researchers on ornithology and bird conservation projects who have truly put their resources of time, energy and money where their passion leads them. Listen and be inspired.
On Episode #43 I look back at the first year of the podcast, and reminisce about the guests and the experience.
On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #42 my son Brett, a non-birder, and I talk about our trip to Thailand and Cambodia, about his travels in SE Asia, and about our birding together on the trip. I hope any birding parent with a non-birding child can relate, and I hope you enjoy the episode.
On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #41 listen to me talk with Alex Wang, Hawaii conservation biologist and birder talk about Hawaiian birds, conservation issues in Hawaii, and Alex’s birding story. Also be sure to check out the blog post on birdbanter.com to see photos and his favorite Hawaiian birding spots.
Learn about the history of Wild Turkeys in the U.S. From a critically low population in the early 20th century, to over 6,000,000 wild turkeys in 49 states now.
This is an episode recorded from Kapa’a, Kauai with intro music by myself! Check it out.
On The Bird Banter Episode #40 I talk with Isaiah Nugent about his 2019 Washington State Big Year and his birding story. I also talk a bit about my upcoming Hawaii trip and the threats to indigenous birds from exotic pests like the Mongoose, avia malaria and of course house cats.
On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #39 with Rob Porter of the Birdsong Podcast we talk about his new podcast, as well as birding by ear, his birding story and Ontario birding. Enjoy.
On The Bird Baner Podcast Episode #38 with Alex Israel we talk about the dangers posed to migratory birds by nigthtime lights and glass covered buildings in cities in major migratory flyways. She is an activist in New York City with the Project Night Flights of the NYC Audubon Society. Listen and learn.
On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #37 with John Pushcock we talk about his tours to Attu, Adak and Utgiagvik (Barrow), Alaska, especially the experience of going on the ship to Attu from Adak and birding Attu now that it can only be done via boat. John is among the most experienced and knowledgeable experts on Alaska birding, and I learned a lot about Alaska birding and the experience available there. Enjoy.
On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #36 with Tasha DiMarzio we talk a out her work with Steller’s Eiders in Alaska, her extensive time in the field doing research, and her other birding experiences. She is awesome. Enjoy.
On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #35 with Dr. Ursula Valdez we talk about her forest falcon research, and her biodiversity and conservation work in the Peruvian Amazon. It’s amazing.
On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #34 with Brad Waggoner we talk about Brad’s birding story, and get into depth on the Neah Bay phenomenon, all the rare birds that have been being seen at Neah Bay in recent years. Brad is a top expert on WA birding, and a great guest. Enjoy.
On episode #33 I talk with Mike Resch about his birding story, and especially about his state birding quest to see half of the birds on every lower 48 state checklist.
On Episode #32 I take clips from several of the first 10 episoded of The Bird Banter Podcast and create an episode in review.
On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #31 with John Patten Moss we talk about his planned 2020 Unicycle Big Year, and his dual passions for birding and riding his unicycle. A crazy story. Check it out.
On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #30 with Peter Wimberger we talk about the role of natural history museums in modern science, ecology, education and research. The episode is recorded at the Burke Museum of Natural History at the University of Puget Sound where Peter is the director. Enjoy.
On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #29 Christian Hagenlocher returns to talk about his recent Attu trip, his experience at the Maine Hog Island Audubon Camp as a counselor, and more Enjoy.
On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #28 I talk about cool bird facts I’ve learned or remembered by taking the Cornell University Ornithology course online. I never took Ornithology in college, and feel like I’m catching up.
On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #27 with Tammy and David McQuade we talk about their 5 year stretch of lower 48 big years, birding as a couple, pelagic birding on the Gulf of Mexico, and how social media has made their birding more enjoyable and productive.
On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #26 with Tim Larson we talk about house mouse eradication on the Farallone Islands and his passionate work in support of this project. Birders can support the project and can learn from these efforts. Check it out.
On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #25 with Dr. John Fitchen we talk about how Dr. Fitchen’s early life and medical career parallel my own, his new book, and his birding story. Enjoy.
On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #24 with Nick Bonomo we talk about Nick’s birding story, his recent Alaska trip, his Connecticut big year experiences, his role in leading trips for Connecticut Audubon, pelagic birding, and birding in general. He is a wealth of knowledge, a top birder, and a really fun guest. Enjoy.
On episode #23 my guest is Ann Nightingale, a Victoria, B.C. birder I first met on a repositioning cruise stopover, who is an outstanding birder, a great birding ambasador, and a great guest. Her her story, and learn the origin of her fabulous birding name.
On Episode #22 I ask the question why am I a birder, and try to give some answers, with a story or two mixed in.
On the Bird Banter Podcast Episode #21 with Dr. Geoffrey Hill you’ll hear not just Geoff’s birding story, but a discussion of his theory on speciation. It’s IMHO pretty exciting stuff, and challenges the status quo.
Enjoy.
On the Bird Banter Podcast Episode #20 with the Willettes you’ll hear the story of a group of good birding friends, all women, who are all avid birders, who love to be together, drink wine, travel and get out birding.
Enjoy.
On the Bird Banter Podcast Episode #19 with Will Brooks we talk about Will birding story, as well as his Pierce County Big Year in 2018, and his White-crowned Sparrow research on subspecies hybridization in the contact zone of Pugetensis and Gambelii subspecies. Enjoy.
On the Bird Banter Podcast Episode #18 with Blair Bernson Ed and Blair talk about Blair’s birding story as well as his more recent 50-50-50 quest. It’s a good story full of good stories. Check it out.
On the Bird Banter Podcast Episode #17 Ed talks about the recent Memorial Day Weekend as well as memories of this weekend in years past, as well as Ken Brown’s presentation to the ABC Birding Club on bird names and avian nomenclature.
On The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #16 Ed talks with Alvaro Jaramillo, a top expert on birding South America, Pelagic Birding, and Gulls as well as owner of Alvaro’s Adventures which leads both California Pelagic Trips and guided birding trips around the world.
In The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #15 Ed talks about the recent WOS convention as well as some mainstream birding news.
In The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #14 with Art Wang they talk about Art’s experiences not just as a birder, but as an activist and leader. Enjoy.
Ed discusses the last day birding on the edge of the Sahara Desert and the drive to Ifrane, with stops for Lesser Short-toed Lark and Wood Lark.
Ed talks about birding near Merzouga, a gateway town on the edge of the Sahara Desert. Camels, SUVs, Birds, Sand Dunes and Bedoin Shepherds were aplenty.
On Day’s 7&8 of Ed’s Morocco Trip the group crosses the High Atlas Range twice, birds the plain between the High Atlas and the Anti-Atlas Ranges, and approaches the Sahara Desert.
Days 5 & 6 involves a really long day as the group travels from Marrakech to Agadir.
On Day 4 of the Morocco Trip Ed and the Legacy Tours group head to the High Atlas at a ski resort for a cold, wet, and foggy day of finging mountain specialties.
In a break from Morocco updates, Ed and Dalton Spencer talk about Dalton discovering birding, and bursting onto the Washington State birding scene.
On Day 3 of his Morocco Trip Ed and the group visit a couple of upland places before heading to Marrakech and checking out the Medina.
On the first two days of the Legacy Tours birding trip, Ed and the group tally about 100 species in multiple stops near the coast north of Casablanca.
This is Ed’s first try at a one-take brief podcast recording while not a home in the studio, but recording while on a trip. The trip gets off to a nice start. Check it out.
In Episode #12 Ed talks with Michael Carmody of Legacy Tours about their Morocco Trip that Ed is starting Tuesday April 16th as well as Michaels experiences as a tour leader in Mexico and around the world.
In episode #11 Birdchick, Sharon Stitler, is my guest and the discussion is lively and I had a blast. Listen and enjoy.
On Episode #10 John Sterling joins host Ed Pullen and they talk about John’s remarkable birding career, with lots of tropical birding discussion as well as hearing about John’s recent birding competition in China. Enjoy.
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On episode #9 my guest is Shep Thorpe, Tacoma area birder and veterinarian and longtime WOS member and field trip leader. Listen to hear about the upcoming WOS conference in Moses Lake, WA, as well as his weekly walks at the Billy Frank Nisqually NWR.
As always, when I hear Bill Tweit talk I learn a lot. Even better to have him as the guest on The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #8.
I’m really excited to have Ben Lizdas as the guest on The Bird Banter Episode #7.
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Enjoy the inaugural BirdBanter podcast. An introduction to Dr. Ed Pullen, the BirdBanter host.
Here is a link to Episode 2 with Ken Brown And Episode #3 with Bruce LaBar Or listen to the episodes on the Podbean site: