Our trip to Point Pelee National Park in Canada was sooooo much fun, we split the goodness into two episodes. In this episode, you'll hear some of our favorite bird calls (like the Carolina Wren and a turkey pecking at a window) and meet a fellow birder who saw a Prothonotary Warbler with us. Lastly, we end with our trip takeaways for becoming better birders—and a real-life bird shit!

BIRD SH*T WE DISCUSSED
USEFUL RESOURCES
Thanks to Friends of Point Pelee for all the great info as we planned our trip!
Follow Bird Shit on Instagram
Send us an email (we'd love to hear from you!)
Peterson Field Guide to Birds (recommended by Mark, who we interview in this episode)

BIRDS WE MENTIONED (in order)
Yellow-Billed Cuckoo
American Robin
Red-winged Blackbird
Wild Turkey
Carolina Wren
Dunlin
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Prothonotary Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Pileated Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Sandhill Crane
Canda Goose
Mallard
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Barn Swallow

OTHER COOL SH*T
Our full species lists from Point Pelee National Park
Leave us an iTunes review if you don't hate this.
Best private-room karaoke in Chicago
#birdblessed
"War of the Worlds" tripod robot or bullfrog call?
Thanks for a crazy Friday night, Rick's in Ann Arbor.

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Some girls take weekend trips to Napa Valley, New Orleans, or Las Vegas. Mo and Sarah decided to go to Canada. Poor life decision? Possibly. But if you're a birder (or pretending to be a birder for the sake of a podcast you started), there are few places as incredible as Point Pelee National Park in Ontario, Canada for a spring migration birding trip.

This is part one of a two-part series on our trip to Point Pelee for the big spring birding migration. In part one, we interview four friendly birders about their favorite bird moments and their advice for newbies who are just getting started with birding. Plus, listen to some beautiful sounds from the Point Pelee wilderness and the birds that kept us company on our hikes. These sound bytes of chirping birds are perfect for drifting off into a peaceful sleep. Don't worry, we won't be mad.

BIRD SH*T WE DISCUSSED
USEFUL RESOURCES
The Peterson Bird Guides: learn bird calls (thanks for the advice, Craig!)
Find a local birding group near you

BIRDS WE MENTION (in order)
Orchard Oriole
American Robin
Red-winged Blackbird
Barn Swallow
Worm-eating Warbler
Sandhill Crane
Colima Warbler
Least Bittern
Common Tern
Little Gull
American Bittern
Willow Ptarmigan
Greater Prairie-Chicken
Northern Cardinal
Red-Eyed Vireo
Yellow Warbler
Black-and-White Warbler
Cedar Waxwing
Carolina Wren
Sanderling
Dunlin
Whimbrel

OTHER COOL SH*T
Here's an example of what a migration fallout looks like #birdarmageddon
HERDEZ GUACAMOLE SALSA
"The Barber of Seville"...aka the Carolina Wren's call?
Yurts at Point Pelee are dope

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Planning a birding trip requires slightly different logistics than a weekend getaway. Are your binoculars packed? Have you familiarized yourself with birds in the region? Did you pack your blow-up dolls? As Mo and Sarah pack for their upcoming trip to Point Pelee National Park in Ontario, Canada, they share their advice for birding trip preparations.
 
Plus, we debate whether or not Morgan Freeman will outlive Emperor Penguins in this week's "Birds in the News." 

BIRD SHIT WE DISCUSSED
USEFUL RESOURCES
Find a local birding mailing list for your region!

BIRDS WE MENTIONED (in order)
Large-Billed Crow (Jungle Crow)
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Rock Pigeon
Mandarin Duck
Secretarybird
Emperor Penguin
White-Throated Rail
Warblers (and how to ID them!)
Kinglets
American Robin

BIRDS IN THE NEWS
A brave bird took down the world’s most expensive fighter jet
Bummer news for Antartica’s Emperor Penguins :-(
The bird that went extinct...then came back!

OTHER COOL SH*T
Point Pelee National Park, Ontario
March of the Penguins
Wall-E blubber people
“It’s a (migrant) trap!”
There are SO MANY Kit-Kat flavors in Japan.
Blow-up dolls...but we’re not including a link. 

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Not to give you FOMO, but we're pretty sure that birding is having a moment. It seems like more and more people are picking up their binoculars, heading into their local environment, and ID'ing birds. (No? Just us?) Here are the top 10 reasons (of, like, a billion reasons) why you should join the birding revolution.

We (Sarah and Mo) are city-dwelling millennials and beginner birders. In the past year, we've passively observed birds around our Midwest homes and dedicated time to learning about birds. We are now borderline-qualified to host a podcast about birding.

Whether you're new to birding, curious about birding but not sure where to start, or just love talking about the great outdoors, we hope you'll tune in!

BIRD SH*T WE DISCUSSED: 
USEFUL RESOURCES

• Merlin Bird ID app (Apple / Android): ID birds in the wild with only 5 visual data points. Believe it.
• eBird app (Apple / Android): track your bird lists and share useful data with badass scientists.

BIRDS WE MENTIONED (in order)

• House Sparrow
• Peregrine Falcon (but let's be real, it could've been a different bird Mo saw)
• Northern Cardinal
• Great Blue Heron
• Canada Goose
• Great Egret (Sarah called it a White Heron but we'll let it slide)
• Sandhill Crane

BIRDS IN THE NEWS

• Florida man killed by a southern cassowary
• Balloons are the WORST.
• Sandhill crane hunting in Michigan? We say nope.

OTHER COOL SH*T

• Fantasy Birding Leagues
• Articuno vs. Zapdos vs. Moltres. You tell us at [email protected].
• Chris Pratt Appreciation (Podcast?)
• Shrek frog balloons
• "A lovely room of death!" - Ace Ventura
• Point Pelee National Park (We'll be here May 25-27!)

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