Bird Banter

I put up this episode in part because it's been longer than usual since my last episode was published, and I didn't want listeners to think I had disappeared. It's a different than usual episode, without a guest. I talk about my recent getaway trip from the rainy Pacific NW, to the Florida Keys and to Costa Rica. 

It was primarily a winter vacation trip, with some time dedicated to birding.  I loved the chance to enjoy Big Pine Key from the comfort of a vacation home of a friend of Marian, and I talk a bit about the birding there. 

In Costa Rica I spend a few days birding in Caño Negro, and a few more with my guide Carlos Ureña in the La Fortuna area PN Quetzales. 

Be sure to watch for future more typical episodes with great guests.

Thanks for listening.  Until next time, good birding and good day!

On this episode I have my first guest from the Czech  Republic, Mikuláš Řimánek.

I met Mik when he was a teenage Rotary Exchange student and had the chance to get out birding with Mik then.  Since then Mik has become a leader in his country in the effort to recruit more youth into birding, and his story is both inspirational and exciting for me.  I think you'll enjoy hearing Mik's story.  You can reach out to Mik on Facebook or Instagram.  You can see his eBird profile here. 

As I mentioned please let me know both about successes and efforts in your area to bring more young people into our wonderful hobby and passion.  Leave info in the podcast review section, or on the BirdBanter.com contact section.

Also read more about the episode and related topics on the BirdBanter.com blog here. 

Until next time. Thanks for listening, and good birding and good day!

On this episode Holly Merker talks about Ornitherapy, her experiences with birding as therapy and of ways we can use birding as a means of improving our state of wellness.  She is also an extraordinarily talented and accomplished birder. You can find out lots more on the BirdBanter.com blog post about this episode. 

Buy her book Ornitherapy:  For Your Mind, Body and Soul on her website. 

Check out the Mindful Birding Network website here. 

Please leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast app.

Thanks and until next time. Good birding and good day!

After several episodes with guests who are big-time  birding listers, we change pace for this episode featuring a birder whose passion has led him to trekking, birding and supporting the communities of some of the highest elevation communities on earth, in the mountains of Nepal.  When I met David Swain on the ship on my recent Antarctica trip I know he would be really fun to talk with for the podcast.  Learn about Nepal, life in some of the highest elevation villages on earth, about trekking and birding in those areas and more. Enjoy.

The Altitude Project

David Swain on Facebook

Read and see more on the Bird Banter Blog

I had a chance to meet Peter Kaestner on my recent Antarctica trip. On the cruise Peter gave a talk about his life passion of seeing as many species of birds as he can in the world.  He worked for the U.S. diplomatic service, lived in many "birdy" places and visited many others. He now works part-time as a birding tour guide for Rockjumper Worldwide Birding Adventures, and has seen over 9700 of the 10,933 species now on the IOC checklist.  It's an amazing story, and I hope you enjoy hearing Peter's story and stories.  As always check out the BirdBanter blog for more details. You can reach Peter by email using the address on his eBird profile.  

Thanks for listening. Good birding and good day!

In 2022 Victor and Ruben Stoll, brothers and birders from Tennessee, shattered the only one year old Lower-48 U.S. big year record, seeing about 25 more species than the previous record set by Tiffany Kersten, a prior guest.  The Stoll brothers seemed to manage to have fun while often driving day and night, taking turns sleeping and driving from one birding site to the next. Hear about aligator attacks, a mouse in the food stash, rare birds and lots more. Enjoy. 

Find both Ruben on Facebook and VIctor on Facebook at these hyperlinks. 

Check out the blog post on BirdBanter.com for more details 

Until next time, good birding and good day!

On this episode I talk with George Armistead about our trip to Antarctica, his birding story as well as his birding tour company Hillstar Nature.  George has his own podcast with Alvaro Jaramillo and Molly Brown called Lifelist: A Birding Podcast that you may want to follow also. I certainly enjoy it. 

You can find George on his website at the link above. 

As promised you can learn more about the highly successful rodent eradication on the South Georgia Islands, about Katabatic winds, Churchill birding, the Bird Safe Philly Project, Christmas Bird Counts and more at my blog post on the Bird Banter Website.

To learn more about the importance of museums in modern science and ornithology, as well as hear from two extraordinary guests on the podcast check out:

The Bird Banter Podcast #30 with Peter Wimberger 

and The Bird Banter Podcast #68 with Dennis Paulson. 

Until next time. Good birding and good day!

I don't do many solo episodes but couldn't resist an episode to talk about my recent expedition cruise to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica.  Antarctica is such an awesome, wild, remote and special place I've long dreamed of visiting.  Well, after two years of covid postponements I finally managed the visit this November.  The ABA, Alvaro's Adventures, and Rockjumper Birding put together a ship full of birders and Quark Expeditions ran the ship, and we did it.  

For lots of details on the trip, see my trip report,and for lots of photos see my Flickr Album. To hear another podcast about the trip, check out Nate Swick's podcast episode with two of the expedition guides Ted Floyd and Katinka Domen. 

If all goes as planned my next episode will be a talk with one of the top guides on the trip, and fellow podcaster George Armistad.  Follow his podcst (along with Alvaro Jaramillo and Mollee Brown) Life List: A Birding Podcast. 

As always check out the Bird Banter Blog for more detailed info. 

Until next time, good birding and good day.

On this episode I talk with Francis Canto Jr., a birder and birding guide from Belize.  I learn a lot about Belize, birding there, and about Francisco and his work and passion for birds and birding. Enjoy. 

You can find Francisco on Facebook 

Here is a link to the Belize Bird Conservatory Hawk Watch Project web page. 

Thanks for listening. As always read more about this episode on the Bird Banter blog. 

Until next time. Good birding. 

On this episode father-son birders Mathew and Levi Radford join me to talk about their birding, birding in Oklahoma, and how birding as a father-son duo had been important in their lives.  

You can find their Father and Son Birding page on Facebook here. Mathew here, and Levi here.

Read more about my recent coast birding trip on the ABC Birding site here, and as always check out the BirdBanter.com blog here.