BirdCallsRadio

l. to r. Dennis Varza, 2013 Recipient, Mabel Osgood Wright Award; Milan Bull, Senior Director of Science and Conservation for CT Audubon Society; COA 29th Annual Meeting 2013, Middlesex Community College, Middletown, CT. March 23, 2013. ©Mardi Welch Dickinson /KymryGroup. All Rights Reserved.

Dennis Edward Varza

Dennis Varza, age 59, of Fairfield, passed away on Sunday, December 29, 2013. Born in Bridgeport, son of the late Victor and Marie Broderick Varza. Dennis had been a Fairfield Town resident for most of his life. Dennis graduated from Shippensburg State College in Pa and did his graduate work at LSU where he earned a MS in Zoology and went on to the University of Oklahoma where he studied aquatic ecology. He had worked for many years as a contract biologist for the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection setting up programs to protect Piping Plovers and Least Terns plus many other projects.

Early on, he worked for the Connecticut Audubon Society revitalizing Fairfield’s Birdcraft Museum as its curator and initiating a bird banding field station that continues today. Dennis had a lifelong love of Ornithology and the research and historical documentation of the birds of Connecticut. He has several first state record bird sitings on his “life list”. In high school he started the Stratford-Milford Christmas Bird Count. Later he was a founding member of the Ct Ornithological Association (COA) and the first field editor for its publication, The Connecticut Warbler. He was acknowledged in the popular book by Zeranski and Baptist, “Birds of Connecticut”. Mr. Varza was very well respected in the birding community, receiving COA’s Mabel Osgood Wright Award in 2013 for his many contributions in research and conservation. Dennis also enjoyed photography, gardening and caring for the environment.

He is survived by his brother, Victor Varza of Maryland, a sister, Gail Santelle and her husband Michael of Trumbull, his uncles Thomas, Robert, Michael and Patrick Broderick, an aunt Catherine Broderick, a niece Ava Santelle as well as many cousins.

Calling hours will be held on Saturday, January 4, 2014 from 2-6pm in the Lesko & Polke Funeral Home, 1209 Post Rd., Fairfield Center with a prayer service at 5:30 pm. Memorial contributions may be made to the Swim Across the Sound, c/o 2800 Main St., Bridgeport, Ct 06606. To sign an online register, purchase flowers, get travel directions, or leave a comment (by scolling down once on page) please visit by clicking here directly onto Dennis Varza’s page at Lesko & Polke Funeral Home

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We were were honored to have Dennis as one our special guests on BirdCallsRadio. Please take a listen by clicking here. DennisVarza BCR interview. &  White-tailed Kite.

“Dennis may you fly with the White-tailed Kite far and wide to those wonderful special places that feathered friends go.”  ~ Mardi Welch Dickinson.

White-Tailed Kite, The First Connecticut State Record discovered by Dennis E. Varza on July 11, 2010 at Stratford Point, CT. ©Mardi Welch Dickinson/KymryGroup. All Rights Reserved.

The Mabel Osgood Wright Award was established in 1991, to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the study and conservation of birds in Connecticut. The award commemorates the achievements of Mabel Osgood Wright, a driving force in bird protection in Connecticut in the early 1900s. Wright, along with a handful of Connecticut women activists, helped change the fashion industry to promote one of the first bird conservation movements of our time. Her efforts led directly to the establishment of the Connecticut Audubon Society, and later to the creation of the National Audubon Society. The Connecticut Ornthological Association honors her efforts and success in bird conservation by giving an award in her name to someone who has made a significant impact on our knowledge, study, and conservation of birds and whos efforts have promoted avian conservation, education and research in Connecticut. 

Dennis Varza, Recipient, Mabel Osgood Wright Award; COA 29th Annual Meeting 2013, Middlesex Community College, Middletown, CT. March 23, 2013. ©Mardi Welch Dickinson/KymryGroup. All Rights Reserved.

The post Dennis Varza Remembered appeared first on BirdCallsRadio™ | Exploring birdlife around the world™.

Gail Eleanor McNab. @Betty Petersen, Director Birder’s Exchange. All Rights Reserved

Betty Petersen, Director of Birders’ Exchange, American Birding Association. @Wayne Petersen All Rights Reserved.

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Due to continuous power outages along the East Coast, today’s BirdCallsRadio episode will be available by clicking on the link below.

Today’s show features an interview with Gail Eleanor McNab, an ABA Birders’ Exchange international intern and Betty Petersen, Director of Birders’ Exchange, to learn about this important bird conservation program from both who have first-hand knowledge of the subject from two different views.

McNab describes herself as an “Outgoing, friendly, hardworking, Creole woman.” She was born in Belize and her love of the outdoors started at a young age as she followed her five brothers around outside, playing sports and exploring nature.

Petersen, Director of the ABA Birders’ Exchange collaborative efforts with Bill Getty of Mass Audubon Society, Joppa Flats for the past 8 years to help make the ABA Birders’ Exchange/Massachusetts Audubon Society International Intern Program the success that it is today. The goal of the program is to develop natural history and conservation ambassadors, and support ecotourism and conservation in the interns’ home countries.

Thanks for your support of BirdCallsRadio.

The post Episode #078: Gail McNab & Betty Petersen appeared first on BirdCallsRadio™ | Exploring birdlife around the world™.

Bill Thompson

Bill Thompson III, co-publisher and editor of “Bird Watchers Digest,” discusses his magazine and also his new book “The Young Birder’s Guide to Birds of North America” in this episode of BirdCallsRadio that originally aired on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012.

A prolific writer of birds and nature, he also wrote “Bird Watching for Dummies” and several other books. He also spreads the word about birding through his blog — Bill of the Birds — and a podcast entitled “This Birding Life.”

Tune in to hear his interesting insights into the hobby of birdwatching and his experiences traveling around the globe to see birds.

The post Episode #077: Bill Thompson III appeared first on BirdCallsRadio™ | Exploring birdlife around the world™.

Kimberly and Kenn Kaufman ©Delores Cole. All Rights Reserved.

Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman took a break from their New England book-signing tour on Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012, to do a live, in-studio show with BirdCallsRadio.

We discuss extensively the Kaufmans newly published book “Kaufman Field Guide to

Cover of Kaufman Field Guide to Nature of New England

Nature of New England.” What’s in the book? Why was all this included? Why was it designed the way it was? Were there difficulties or challenges encountered while working on the book? Are there more books coming? All this and more is included in the interview.

All the talk about the book will hopefully make you excited about seeing the book and the Kaufmans have generously donated a book for a lucky BirdCallsRadio listener. Take a listen to the archive to see how to win.

We also discuss the Kaufman’s tour of New England and their quest to find 350 species in nature during their trip in the region.

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l. to r. Milan Bull and Phil Donahue. ©The Purple Martin Conservation Association (PMCA). All Rights Reserved.

Phil Donahue discusses his Purple Martin colony in this edition of BirdCallsRadio, with host, Mardi Dickinson, which originally aired on Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012.

Listen as this iconic TV personality describes his passion for Purple Martins. Donahue, along with his wife Marlo Thomas, has a large Purple Martin colony at their home.

Left to right, Milan Bull, Marlo Thomas, and Phil Donahue at the site of Donahue’s Purple Martin colony. ©Scott Kruitbosch. All Rights Reserved.

Donahue, founder of The Phil Donahue Show, also discusses his conversations with Edward O. Wilson, world renowned biologist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “The Ants,” and James D. Watson, best known as a co-discoverer of the structure of DNA in 1953 with Francis Crick.

Donahue is an American media personality, writer and film producer, best known for The Phil Donahue Show, which ran from 1967 to 1996,  the longest running syndicated talk show in U.S. television history.

Listen to BirdCallsRadio ON THE GO, Subscribe to our podcast for Mac users at Apple Podcasts, PC users at Stitcher, and please leave a rating or a review if you would be so are so kind! We appreciate it!

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The post Episode #075: Phil Donahue appeared first on BirdCallsRadio™ | Exploring birdlife around the world™.

Focus on Diversity: Changing the FACE of American Birding Logo. ©Fledging Birders Institute. All Rights Reserved

Not to be missed! Focus on Diversity: Changing the Face of American Birding Conference on October 13, 2012. Hosted by the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Bloomington, MN. This is an important conference to support and go to. We are doing our part as a supporting sponsor of this conference. Dave Magpiong and Dr. Drew Lanham were recently on BCR as our guests. Take a listen here or go to BCR iTunes on right column.  bcr 9-17 Magpiong – Lanham  PLUS Bonus Audio: bcr 9-17 Magpiong & Lanham BONUS

Last Minute Registration: Contact Dave Magpiong. Email:  [email protected]

SkyDawgs in the glow of Aplomado Falcon in Lower Rio Grande Valley, TX: J. Drew Lanham, Dave Magpiong, Roy Rodriguez, Douglas Gray, Jeremiah Alexander, and Dudley Edmondson. ©Fledging Birders Institute. All Rights Reserved.

The post Focus on Diversity: Changing the FACE of American Birding appeared first on BirdCallsRadio™ | Exploring birdlife around the world™.

Pete Dunne, © Linda Dunne. All Rights Reserved.

Pete Dunne discusses the updated version of “Hawks in Flight” and hawk watching in general on this BirdCallsRadio episode that originally aired on Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012.

Pete is a well-known birder and author, and wrote “Hawks in Flight: The Flight Identification of North American Migrant Raptors,” with David Sibley and Clay Sutton in 1989. They recently got together to update the book.

Pete also breaks down the identification of several hawk species that often give birders difficulty. Dunne will also be the keynote speaker at the upcoming Hawk Migration Association of North American Conference, HMANA, which will take place Oct. 13-14 at Audubon Greenwich.

He is the Chief Communications Officer of New Jersey Audubon and Director of the Cape May Bird Observatory.

Thank you for your support of BirdCallsRadio.

The post Episode #074: Pete Dunne #2 appeared first on BirdCallsRadio™ | Exploring birdlife around the world™.

Julie Brown on the Gaspe Peninsula in a northern gannet colony. @Phil Brown. All Rights Reserved.

Julie Brown, monitoring site coordinator for Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA), talks hawk watching on BirdCallsRadio in this archive that originally aired Sept. 30, 2012.

Brown discusses hawk watching basics, raptor biology, the work of HMANA, and the upcoming HMANA annual conference at Audubon Greenwich.

Brown is also the site coordinator for the Pack Monadnock Raptor Migration Observatory in Peterborough, NH.

The post Episode #073: Julie Brown appeared first on BirdCallsRadio™ | Exploring birdlife around the world™.

America’s Other Audubon by Joy M. Kiser
Published by Princeton Architectural Press, 2012

Joy M. Kiser and Amy T. Montague discuss Kiser’s book “America’s Other Audubon” and the artwork of Genevieve Jones on this BirdCallsRadio archive, which originally aired Sunday, Sept. 23. “America’s Other Audubon” is about the life of artist Genevieve Jones, an amateur artist who did the artwork for “Illustrations of the Nests and Eggs of Birds of Ohio.”Jones was inspired by the works of John James Audubon and died of typhoid fever before completing the project. Her family completed the work in her honor. Montague, the Director of the Mass Audubon Visual Arts Center, discusses the exhibition “Nests, Eggs, Heartbreak & Beauty,” which opens Sept. 30 and runs through Jan. 13. The exhibition features Jones’s rare 19th century book. The guests tell the fascinating stories of Jones and how her artwork ended up at the Mass Audubon Visual Arts Center.

Article: Nest, Eggs, Heartbreak & Beauty Exhibition

The post Episode #072: Kiser, Montague appeared first on BirdCallsRadio™ | Exploring birdlife around the world™.

America’s Other Audubon by Joy M. Kiser
Published by Princeton Architectural Press, 2012

Joy M. Kiser and Amy T. Montague will be the next guests on BirdCallsRadio, coming up this Sunday from 1 to 2 p.m. on 1490 WGCH and Worldwide here on Listen Live.

Photo of Joy M. Kiser. @Adam Kiser. All Rights Reserved

Kiser is the author of “America’s Other Audubon,” a historic and important look at Genevieve Jones, an amateur artist who was inspired by Audubon’s Birds of America prints and sought to do a companion volume of bird nests and eggs. She died of typhoid fever before completing it with only 5 plates done, but her family completed the project in her memory. The book is titled: “Illustrations of the Nests and Eggs of Birds of Ohio.”

Photo of Amy T. Montague @All Rights Reserved.

Montague is the Director of the Mass Audubon Visual Arts Center and curates three exhibitions a year there. The next exhibition “Nests, Eggs, Heartbreak & Beauty,” starting Sept. 30 and running through Jan. 13, will feature Jones’s rare 19th century book. Kiser will be on hand to sign “America’s Other Audubon” books at the opening reception from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 30.

Kiser will discuss the fascinating research that went into her book, while Montague will discuss the upcoming exhibition “Nests, Eggs, Heartbreak & Beauty” at the Visual Arts Center.  Kiser unearthed a tremendously interesting story with Jones and Jones’s artwork and book. Montague will also discuss how the Mass Audubon Visual Arts Center received a copy of the rare book by Jones. Only 90 copies of the book were printed and fewer than 25 are known to exist today.

Kiser grew up in the suburban community of Norton Center, Ohio, and her happiest childhood memories are of climbing the trees in her father’s orchard to visit birds’ nests and watch the inhabitants progress from egg, to newborn, to fledgling. In 2001, she moved to the Washington, DC, area to become the librarian for National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). She now works as a writer/editor for the federal government.

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