Bird Banter

Ryan Merrill and I talk about his birding story,  birding in Washington State, and about his local patch birding.  He also talks about his work on the Washington Bird Records Committee, and life as the husband/father in a family with a young child as a birder.  Enjoy. 

Photo Credit:  The photo of the Swallow-tailed Kite used in the thumbnail for this episode is by Laurel Parshall.  You can hear Laurel and other "Willettes" on episode #20 of The Bird Banter Podcast. 

You can reach Ryan by e-mail: rjm284-at-gmail-dot-com

Here is a link to the Washington Bird Records Committee site:  http://wos.org/records/

This is info about the Seattle Audubon Society Young Birders activities:  https://www.seattleaudubon.org/sas/About/EnvironmentalEducation/YoungBirders.aspx

The Swallow-tailed Gull Ryan found in WA made the  local media in many places. Here is an example:  https://www.heraldnet.com/news/this-very-rare-bird-in-edmonds-is-4000-miles-from-home/

Ryan talks about Carkeek Park near his home in Seattle. Here is info about that local park:  https://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/carkeek-park

I hope you all stay well, get birding often, and until next time. Good birding. Good day!

On this episode I am joined by Stephanie Seymour, the artist of the recently released album There Are Birds.  She is an avid birder, has her own private official hawkwatch station at her home in New jersey, and is a longtime professional musician.  This album has 12 songs, each with the song title being the name of a listable North American bird except the final track, Migration is Over.  Three of the songs are included in this podcast. Enjoy.

You can buy Stephanie's album at her website: There Are Birds

If that hyperlink does not work just go to http://www.therearebirds.com/

We mention the birding in Central Park with Saphir who led walks in spring there for about 40 years before her death.  The movie, The Central Park Effect is very cool, and features Saphir in part.  https://www.birdwatchingdaily.com/news/birdwatching/film-central-park-birders-explores-birdwatching-deeply-human-activity/

Find more at my blog at http://birdbanter.com/index.php/category/thebirdbanterpodcastblog/

Until next time.  Good birding. 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!

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. 

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.  

Thanks for listening.

Good birding. 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 episode #47 I talk with Ryan Rodriguez at his Dad, at the office of his Dad and primary birding chauffeur Victor Rodriguez.  Ryan learned to read at age 4 by studying the Sibley Guide to the Birds of North America for a full summer. He is an avid birder, Young Birder of the Year contest participant, and a wonderful guest on the Bird Banter Podcast. Enjoy. 

Check out the associated Bird Banter Blog Post for more information and photos of and about Ryan. 

Please leave comments, reviews, and contact me on the Bird Banter website contact page if you have suggestions for additional guests or topics. 

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 The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #45 I talk with Annie Meyer. I first met Annie when she was a pre-teen birder, and we talk about her birding story, her birding and research experiences, and conservation issues regarding birds. She has wonderful stories to tell.  I had a great time talking with Annie. Enjoy. 

You can reach out to Annie Meyer @anniemeyer on Facebook on Instagram @Annie_Meyer 

The website for Third Millennium Alliance in Equador, preserving corridors for wildlife is http://tmalliance.org/

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/silent-skies-billions-of-north-american-birds-have-vanished/ Is a link to the Science article we talked about. 

Here is the Third Millenium Facebook page.  https://www.facebook.com/tmalliance/  

We also discussed Land Trusts. Here is a link to the Washington Association of Land Trusts https://walandtrusts.org/

Here is a link to a photo of and info about the bird we discussed, the Hoatzin.  https://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/Species-Account/nb/species/hoatzi1/overview

Until next time, Good birding.  Good day!

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.