Birdchick Podcast

Kabuki back when he would chill on the porch with us. 

You may have noticed we went on a bit of a hiatus. For those who didn't see on social media, our 18 year old cockatiel Kabuki went blind in September. At first he seemed to adapt but things got worse and...well we had to make the decision that no one likes to make for their pet. Over this period, it was all I could do to just to meet the bare minimum at work, let alone all the other things I enjoy doing. 

When I finally felt ready to return to normal life, I thought it might be fun to revamp the podcast. We're bringing in special guests. Not just birders but people who have an interesting relationship with birds. Our first guest Levi Weinhagen a non-birder who wants a northern goshawk tattoo!

Sponsors this week: Holbrook Travel--want to come with me to Cuba next April?

Things we talk about in the podcast:

Common swifts break the record for nonstop flight. 

Sibley has a coloring book!

Who got Murphy Brown pregnant. 

Pluggers...I'm sorry. Here's a bird related one. 

Things we recommended:

Learn more about Levi at his Pratfalls Podcast and his newest venture the Not About You Podcast. Levi recommended Breaking the Jump a book about the history of Parkour. 

Non Birding Bill recommended Civilization 6.

And I recommended Beautiful Anonymous Podcast. 

The American Birding Association is having several contests this year in an effort to get new members and get former members to renew. We are also having a contest for people to join the American Birding Association. If you join the ABA and in the comments on the application say you joined because of Birdchick or Non Birding Bill, then send us the confirmation with your mailing address you could win one of three prizes:

An Advanced Guide to Birding autographed by Kenn Kaufmann (we'll put in a personal message too if you want).

An autographed postcard from Neil Gaiman thanking you for joining the ABA. 

An autographed copy of Disapproving Rabbits (Sharon's first book).

Send confirmations to [email protected] with your preferred prize and mailing address. 

Autographs from Kenn Kaufman, Neil Gaiman and us are prizes. 

Other things we talked about include the documentary about the Duck Stamp art contest called Million Dollar Duck. We highly recommend it.

PokemonGo players help injured pelican.

Some jerk got a worthwhile fine for killing hawks that were hunting the quail he wanted to kill.  

I love that not only have I received official federal guidance about Pokemon for my job but that a hook and bullet publication put my post about Pokemon Go out there. If you think Pokemon Go is the beginning of the end of society...read this. 

JOIN THE AMERICAN BIRDING ASSOCIATION Send us proof that you joined or renewed and you could win one of the Kaufman field guide. Specify which one you want to [email protected]. First come, first serve. 

You won't believe how high some birds can fly. 

Weird, it's legal to release rehabbed starlings and house sparrows in the United States but not parrots...

You cannot unsee this. 

Poaching caught live on an internet eagle cam in Israel.  

So there's this think called PokemonGo...

Frigatebirds can fly a long time!

Army vet shoots down branch to help young eagle tangled with rope. 

Loons raising a goldeneye. 

This eagle is trying to land, it's not trying to take off with the boy. 

Spice Gull. 

The struggle of birders attracting new birders. 

Gary the philandering godwit. 

Bird brains blah, blah, blah. 

So if you have an iPhone, some extra time on your hands and you're looking for a bird dating sim app...

Here's ill-informed Zeke from Indiana spouting nonsense. 

Sometimes commenters on bird cam forums go too far. 

Canadian police are digiscoping...watching out.

Bird news:

Why are the crows so violent in Canada?

Bald eagle cam shows bald eagles bringing a young cat back to the nest. 

John James Audubon was kind of a punk ass troll. 

Oh...this isn't going to piss any birders off...at all. 

Apparently people think birders are as creepy as clowns. 

Birders on Instagram.

Migrating birds boycott North Carolina. 

Bird Jobs:

Fairy Wren volunteer field assistants. 

PNG Fairy Wren volunteer field assistant. 

Recommendations:

The Happy Wren Shirts

Aging poorly. 

This podcast is brought you by WildSide Nature Tours. Come with me to an ancient land to watching thousands of migratory birds like common cranes, storks, spoonbills and red kites. We'll also look for Palestine sunbird, jungle cat and white-throated kingfisher on my Raptor Bonanza Tour in Israel in November--history, culture and birds all combine for the birding trip of a lifetime. Israel is one of the most unique countries you can visit for birds, it's a major flyway for European and Asian birds as they head south into Africa. 

This podcast is also brought to you by Holbrook Travel. Would you like to get away to Central America and hone your smartphone digiscoping technique on toucans, parrots and dazzling hummingbirds? Join me in Belize next March. 

The search is officially on in Cuba for ivory-billed woodpeckers. 

Insane spring warbler fallout photos from 2011. 

Some duck stamp artists are not happy about a proposed change to the stamp art. 

Some weirdo is apparently eating bald eagles. 

This is the most badass red-tailed hawk you will see this year. 

I got in a Twitter war over what I felt was an unfair segment about the Great Texas Birding Classic...and the host replied. 

The Birdist explains why you don't see native birds in movies.

Albatross babies in flower pots and albatross buried in sand.

Sharon has issues with this job description. 

Wisdom with John and Yoko.

Wisdom and mate displaying on the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Have historical photos from the last 62 years? Send them to me and we have a guy who might put Wisdom the Albatross in them!

Recommendations:

Sharon: Baby Birds.

Non Birding Bill: Still Buffering.

News:

Jon Hamm helps a hummer. 

Eurasian jay dodges a sparrow hawk Matrix style.

Sand martin necrophilia. 

Bird Jobs:

If you were unemployed for a few months, which job would you take:

Tundra Nesting Bird Internship at Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 

or

Bahamas Shorebird Field Assistant...live on a schooner.