We talk with Greg Miller, who was the inspiration behind Jack Black's character Brad in "The Big Year". Greg tells us all about what was real and what was embellished in the movie as well as other birding stories!Hear more from Greg on his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GregMillerBirding/Book at tour with Greg: https://wildsidenaturetours.…

We talk with the current 2024 Lower 48 Big Year leader Ezekiel Dobson about his historic year, birding across the United States, birding in Kentucky where he's from, and more! Zeke is currently at 708 species for the year. You can donate to Zeke's journey here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/big-year-lower-48-states…

We talk about marshes and marsh birds, and the world's largest freshwater cattail marsh, Horicon Marsh, as well as Limpkins, Whooping Cranes, and other species.

We went on our first pelagic birding trip out of Westport, Washington. We give a sneak peak about what we saw and what it was like and also talk about what you need to know before going on your first pelagic birding trip.

We talk with birder Will Huggins about the tour he took with us in Wisconsin, as well as his birding adventures in the PNW, South Florida, Georgia, and more.

We talk about what it was like Birding at the Grand Canyon and seeing California Condors. Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan also gets a shout-out.

We talk about the new AOS update of what bird species are now considered the same and which ones are considered different.

We talk about the latest birding technology from smart bird feeders, to thermal monoculars, to binoculars that ID birds for you, and more!

We talk with Zach Matchinski about his work on Midway Atoll, including the birds that live there, how to get a job working with birds, broken camera lenses, and more!

We talk with Trey McCuen about traveling across the country to see birds, what it's like birding in Georgia, the start of his new guiding business, and his interesting experiences out in the forests of North America.

We talk to Jeff (Mr. Train) and Otys about what it's like birding in New Jersey, how people are working to reduce window strikes, especially in big cities like New York, and more! Links Mr. Train: Life Lessons for Better Birding and Beyond Common Tern Article Article about Mr. Train and Otys' work with window strikes Otys Train's essay about window…

We talk about some of the most difficult bird identifications, some cool sightings we've had, and play around with some AI to see how it is at generating bird photos and other scenes.

We talk about why summer birding comes with its own set of challenges, the bird nesting season, as well as how cool nest box cameras are.

We talk to Wisconsin birder Cole Roecker about birding "Big Days", including the one from our latest video, the history of birding, and some of birding's biggest controversies, including feral cats.

We talk to 13 year-old birder Manny from Indiana about how he got into birding, birding in Indiana, the Inaccessible Island Rail, and more!

We talk with Texas birder Ty Allen about Big Days, how he started birding, and about our new guiding network, which Ty is a part of! You can book a tour with Ty or any of our guides at www.badgerlandbirding.com.

We give a preview about what it's like going to The Biggest Week in American Birding, which happens annually in Ohio. We will be releasing a bunch of content about it in the future. You can learn more here: https://www.biggestweekinamericanbirding.com

We talked with birder and field tech Max Carroll about birding in Vermont, shorebird survey, and field tech work, a peg-legged American Oystercatcher that's still kicking, and more! You can follow Max on instagram @max.manhattan.

We talk with Master's Student Brooke Poplin about her research studying Harris's Hawks in Texas, including capture methods, technological advancements, other raptors, and more.

I talk with Graduate Research Assistant Maria Bleitz about how the Covid-19 pandemic got her into birding, some of her research and work in Michigan, California, and Oklahoma, how goofy plovers are, and more!

We talk about going to see American Woodcocks in the spring, some interesting encounters we've had with people while birding, the controversy of feral cats, as well as some interesting new gadgets we've been testing.

We talk with young birder Liam Hutcheson who just broke the State Big Year record in Washington in 2023. Discussions include birding in Washington, his Big Year, the proposed Barred Owl cull, and more. You can check out Liam's Instagram @liamhutchesonwildlife.

We talk with Alex Lamoreaux, one of the guides for Wildside Nature Tours, about his travels all over the world, his crazy stories, favorite experiences, and more! Learn more about Alex and his tours at: https://wildsidenaturetours.com/team-member/alex-lamoreaux/

I talk with Holly Garrod, who is the coordinator of the Caribbean Bird Banding Network with Birds Caribbean about what it's like birding in the Caribbean, bird banding, and all things Todies! You can follow Holly on instagram @orn.ecology.

We talk about our favorite warblers, which ones are overrated and underrated, as well as what we're looking forward to this spring!

We talk with Wisconsin birder Tim Hahn about the Wisconsin birding scene, doing a county Big Year, sketchy encounters in the forest and more!

We talk with Ryan Rodriguez, a 16-year-old birder from South Texas, about what it's like being a young birder, guiding in South Texas, his quest to see the last ʻakikiki in Hawaii, and more!

Duade Paton is an experienced bird and nature photographer who also runs his own YouTube Channel with nearly 80,000 subscribers. Hear about some of his favorite photography tips, some of his favorite gear, as well as what it's like living and birding in Australia. Make sure to check out Duade's YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@Duade…

We talk with photographer Matt Zuro about how he captures incredible bird photos, including many of the owl species that live in the northern United States, using thermal cameras for birding, and birding in Illinois. All photos seen in the video version of this episode are photos taken by Matt. You can check out his photos on his instagram @zurotog…

Owls are captivating, and fascinating to watch. On this episode we talk about owls you can find in North America, specifically discussing encounters we've had with these species, as well as some tips on how to find owls, and best practices for observing them ethically.

We (Derek and Ryan) talk about some of our coolest and most memorable experiences, as well as some of our most disappointing. We also go through some of the most interesting species on our life lists and some that we're excited to look for in the future.

We talk with Chris, creator of the "Looking at Birds" podcast about what's it's like making each episode, how he got into birding, as well as what it's like living in Arizona, birding festivals, and more! You can check out Chris's podcast here! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/looking-at-birds-a-birding-podcast/id1561550706…

We talk with Rachel Clark, professional birding guide from "Central California Birding Tours" about what it's like to bird in the diverse habitats of California. We also talk about if all wrens are sassy, and some of our stories about finding and looking for rare birds, as well as the trip we took to California. You can check out Rachel's website a…

We talk with Alex Harman, a graduate student at Oklahoma State University about what it's like birding in Oklahoma, the possibility of doing the Colima Warbler hike in Texas, the Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch in Wisconsin, and more!

My guest is Derek Sallmann, one half of the sibling-duo behind Badgerland Birding, a popular YouTube channel with a focus on birding, bird-feeding and nature in general. They recently launched a new birding podcast: The Badgerland Birding podcast. You can also find Derek and his brother Ryan, out and around Wisconsin, leading birding tours. For mor…

We talk with Justin LeClaire from the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program about birding in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, some of the rare birds currently in the state, his county Big Year, and more!

We talk with our friend and Wisconsin birder Eric Konkol about the First of the Year Birding Challenge, his work doing Marbled Murrelet and Spotted Owl surveys in the Pacific Northwest, as well as some of his recent trips, including what it's like to bird in South Texas.

Derek and Ryan talk about how they got into birding, the challenges they faced when first starting, and how they started their YouTube Channel "Badgerland Birding" which now has over 27,000 subscribers.

My guest is Jon Dunn, lead author of the Field Guide to the Birds of North America by National Geographic, most recently the 7th edition in 2017, and a Tour Guide for WINGS, who has had a passion for birds most of his life. He’s led a few trips at this year's Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival and I’m happy he was able to join us for this episode. …

For this episode, I recorded interviews with visitors that stopped by my table at the Birders Bazaar of the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival. In addition to those interviews, a returning guest, Victor Lawrence, spoke with us about the Kookaburra. I hope you enjoy the episode! Chapters 00:00 - Intro 00:33 - Welcome to the RGVBF 01:04 - Janine from…

My guest is Genevieve O’Gorman, a bird lover who runs her own Chicken Rescue right here in Tucson, where we are recording this episode, so you might hear a few roosters and hens in the background. She previously volunteered at the Chicken Run Rescue in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she received her first chicken. She also worked with chickens and o…

My guest is Robert Gallardo, a California native who moved to Honduras in 1993 for the Peace Corps and then stayed for the tropical birds. He is now considered the country's leading authority on both birds and butterflies. He leads tours for Naturalist Journeys and Fauna Ventures to Panama, Honduras, Costa Rica and Trinidad & Tobago. Robert is the …

My guest is Peg Abbott, she is the owner and lead guide of Naturalist Journeys, LLC. Peg has been designing, guiding, and organizing natural history tours for more than 35 years; working for the National Audubon Society and other organizations before launching Naturalist Journeys in 1998. Her work has taken her all over the world, from Alaska to Af…

My guest is Arjan Dwarshuis, an avid birder, professional guide, writer and conservationist. A name you are probably most familiar with for the Guinness World Record he set in 2016, by observing 6852 bird species across 41 countries in a single year. Not too long ago, his book about this big year, The (Big) Year That Flew By, was translated from Du…

My guest is Phil Chaon, a life-long naturalist with a background in botany and wildlife biology. Phil has taken field work jobs all over the world and now leads trips for Lindblad Expeditions focused on birds, wildlife and photography. In addition to guiding, Phil works as an audio analyst, training AI systems to categorize bird songs and he also c…

This is my second time at the Southeast Arizona Birding Festival and similar to my other festival episodes, I interviewed birders visiting the Nature Expo. We talked about some of their memorable birding experiences as well as their experience at the festival. Chapters 00:00 - Intro 00:47 - DJ from Tucson 05:48 - Lindsey from Tucson 09:27 - Eileen …

Today my guest is a familiar one, Jeff Babson, you might remember him from a number of previous episodes, namely 7, 16, 22, 23 and 42, all of which I encourage you to check out, if you haven’t already listened to them. Jeff is an all-around naturalist who currently works for the Pima County Department of Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation, as …

My guest is Frank Mead, an Arizona native who’s spent the last 10 years in the horticulture industry. Some of his experiences include working in the Conservation Core, a branch of Americore, where he helped to build trails in national parks and cooperated with fire crews during fire season. While he doesn’t have a formal background in birding, his …

Today my guest is Abby Wing, an owner, designer and builder here at Rozet Nursery. Abby spent 17 years in the San Francisco Bay area before moving out here to Tucson, there she pursued formal education, including her California Naturalist Certification, and acquired experience working with a number of gardeners, herbalists and contractors. Here at …

My guest is Kendall Kroesen, the Community Outreach Coordinator for Mission Garden, who you might remember from Episode 39. With a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology he participated in a number of archaeological and conservation projects. In the early 2000s, he left social science and joined the Tucson Audubon society, where he created the Urban Bird H…