The Casual Birder Podcast

Host Suzy speaks with Sandra Morocho (Birdwatchers of Quijos Valley, Ecuador) and Michaela Leeb (Swarovski-Optik).

Sandra lives in the cloud forest on the eastern slopes of the Andes in Ecuador. In 2014 she won a pair of binoculars in the Digiscoper of the Year competition run by Swarovski-Optik.

Using the binoculars stoked Sandra’s enthusiasm for sharing views of the local birds with her friends. From there, Sandra’s engagement with the wider community led to an initiative with local leaders to promote eco-tourism alongside conservation efforts in the cloud forest in the Quijos Valley.

Michaela tells us of the part Swarovski-Optik plays in supporting conservation efforts around the world.

We also hear how Sandra and Michaela would spend a fantasy birding day.

Recorded live at Global Birdfair 2024

The 12 podcasts that presented live shows at Global BirdFair - take a listen!

Find out more about Birdwatchers of the Quijos Valley on Facebook

Or email them at [email protected]

Find out more about sustainability projects at Swarovski Optik

Your bird stories

Tell me about your bird stories - contact me on the casualbirder.com website

The Casual Birder Bird Club

• The Casual Birder Bird Club is an online bird club that meets every month. 

• Sometimes we feature guest speakers, but most months a group of us get together to talk about the birds we've seen, share birding moments that have brought us joy, and ask questions or get help from the community.

• If meeting up with a group of friendly people from around the world to talk about the birds you've seen sounds like something you'd like to do, you'd be very welcome to join us.

• Sign up here: The Casual Birder Bird Club

Support the show

If you would like to help support the show’s production buy a virtual coffee here 

Keep in the Loop

Sign up here for email notifications of news, blogs and episodes

The Casual Birder Podcast   https://casualbirder.com/

Don't miss an episode - follow the show!

My thanks to Randy Braun for designing the artwork for the show and to The Drones for the theme music Short Sleeved Shirt. Check out their website at www.dronesmusic.net

Naturalist, author and broadcaster Stephen Moss joins Suzy in a wide-ranging conversation covering the importance of supporting younger members of the wildlife community, recovery from serious illness and the challenges of making individual efforts to mitigate the biodiversity crisis.

Recorded live at Global Birdfair 2023

Links:

Global BirdFair information and tickets: Global BirdFair website

Link to my last episode with Stephen: Stephen Moss at Global BirdFair 2022

Your bird stories

Tell me about your bird sightings - contact me on the casualbirder.com website

The Casual Birder Bird Club

• The Casual Birder Bird Club is an online bird club that meets every month. 
• Sometimes we feature guest speakers, but most months a group of us get together to talk about the birds we've seen, share birding moments that have brought us joy, and ask questions or get help from the community.
• If meeting up with a group of friendly people from around the world to talk about the birds you've seen sounds like something you'd like to do, you'd be very welcome to join us.
• Sign up here: The Casual Birder Bird Club
• Read more about the club here: Club FAQs

Support the show

If you would like to help support the show’s production, you can add to the show’s tip jar by buying me a virtual coffee here 

Thanks to Randy Braun for designing the artwork for the show and to The Drones for the theme music Short Sleeved Shirt. Check out their website at www.dronesmusic.net

Ecologist, writer, and wildlife presenter Mike Dilger is a familiar face from his appearances on popular shows such as BBC's The One Show and Springwatch.

With a lifelong passion for plants, insects, and birds, Mike has dedicated his career to studying and understanding wildlife. His extensive fieldwork has taken him around the world.

As a respected wildlife communicator, Mike shares his knowledge through wildlife filmmaking, writing, and public speaking engagements.

In addition, his expertise and genuine love for nature make him a perfect guide for specialist wildlife vacations where he enables others to learn about the natural world.

Mike reminisces with Suzy about the birds they have seen together, what excites him about the natural world, and how he came to write his latest book “1000 Shades of Green”. He also shares how he would spend a fantasy birding day.

Recorded at Global Birdfair 2023

Links:

Mike Dilger's website

Global BirdFair information and tickets: Global BirdFair website

Your bird stories

Tell me about your bird stories - contact me on the casualbirder.com website

The Casual Birder Bird Club

• The Casual Birder Bird Club is an online bird club that meets every month. 
• Sometimes we feature guest speakers, but most months a group of us get together to talk about the birds we've seen, share birding moments that have brought us joy, and ask questions or get help from the community.
• If meeting up with a group of friendly people from around the world to talk about the birds you've seen sounds like something you'd like to do, you'd be very welcome to join us.
• Sign up here: The Casual Birder Bird Club
• Read more about the club here: Club FAQs

Support the show

If you would like to help support the show’s production, you can add to the show’s tip jar by buying me a virtual coffee here 

Thanks to Randy Braun for designing the artwork for the show and to The Drones for the theme music Short Sleeved Shirt. Check out their website at www.dronesmusic.net

Alan Davis and Ruth Miller are passionate birders.

In 2008 they gave up their jobs and sold everything to embark on an epic year-long quest to see and hear as many bird species as possible. After many adventures, on a journey taking them around the world, their final total was an amazing 4341 species, achieving a world record for the most species seen in one year.

They wrote about their adventures in their book The Biggest Twitch.

They now run a bird-watching tour company providing guided tours (with cake) in their home country of Wales and worldwide.

Ruth and Alan talk about sharing their love of birds with others, and how each would spend a fantasy birding day.

Recorded live at Global Birdfair 2023

Links:

Alan and Ruth's tour company: Birdwatchingtrips website

Global BirdFair information and tickets: Global BirdFair website

Your bird stories

Tell me about your bird stories - contact me on the casualbirder.com website

The Casual Birder Bird Club

• The Casual Birder Bird Club is an online bird club that meets every month. 
• Sometimes we feature guest speakers, but most months a group of us get together to talk about the birds we've seen, share birding moments that have brought us joy, and ask questions or get help from the community.
• If meeting up with a group of friendly people from around the world to talk about the birds you've seen sounds like something you'd like to do, you'd be very welcome to join us.
• Sign up here: The Casual Birder Bird Club

Support the show

If you would like to help support the show’s production, you can add to the show’s tip jar by buying me a virtual coffee here 

My thanks to Randy Braun for designing the artwork for the show and to The Drones for the theme music Short Sleeved Shirt. Check out their website at www.dronesmusic.net

Dick and Andrew Woods, who operate the family business behind Finches Friend bird feeders, prioritise the health of garden birds in the design of their products.

A passionate designer, Dick set out to revolutionise bird feeding practices by confronting the disease and contamination risks that exist wherever we feed our garden birds.

Not only do their feeders separate the food from contact with birds feet, they also encourage us to maintain good feeder hygiene by providing easy clean solutions through their innovative feeder design.

In this episode, Dick and Andrew, tell me about their latest product: the cleaner peanut feeder.

• 00:00:00  Opening
• 00:01:14  Past Episode
  • Past episode: #128 Casual Birding in Panama City 
• 00:01:27 Introduction
• 00:03:34 Conversation with Dick and Andrew Woods from Finches Friend
  • Past episode with Finches Friend #119 Food, Feet and Faeces: the key to keeping our garden birds healthy
  • Get 5% off the price of any Finches Friend product - valid until the end of January 2024 Use the code CASBIR5PC Visit the Finches Friend website
• 00:30:49 The Casual Birder Bird Club
  • The Casual Birder Bird Club is an online bird club that meets every month. 
  • Sometimes it features guest speakers, but most months a group of us get together to talk about the birds we've seen, share birding moments that have brought us joy, and ask questions or get help from the community.
  • If meeting up with a group of friendly people from around the world to talk about the birds you've seen sounds like something you'd like to do, you'd be very welcome to join us. Sign up here: The Casual Birder Bird Club
• 00:31:29 Wrap and Close
  • The Casual Birder Podcast   https://casualbirder.com/
  • Don't miss an episode - follow the show!
  • Thanks to Randy Braun for designing the artwork for the show and to The Drones for the theme music Short Sleeved Shirt. Check out their website at www.dronesmusic.net

John and Suzy share their first experiences with the stunning birds of Panama City, and we hear from Edwin, their professional guide, who took them birding in the Metropolitan Nature Park.

Links

• Sign up to our Team for the October Big Day
• Fundraiser for BirdLife International

 Past Episode

• Past episode: Slow birding with Bridget Butler

Support the show

• Tell me about your birding
• Buy me a virtual coffee on Ko-Fi.com
• The Casual Birder Bird Club - sign up

The Casual Birder Podcast   https://casualbirder.com/

Thanks to Randy Braun for designing the artwork for the show.

The theme music is Short Sleeved Shirt by The Drones. Thanks to them for letting me use it. Check out their website at www.dronesmusic.net

Bridget Butler, also known as the Bird Diva, did not originally have a passion for birds.  But seeing an Indigo Bunting one morning sparked her birding interest. 

Finding support and encouragement in the Vermont birding community Bridget developed an interest in slow birding.

Bridget encourages the observation of birds as a holistic, mindful practice rather than a race to spot the most species. 

She now teaches the practice of slow birding, encouraging others to embrace a slower, more contemplative approach.

Timestamps & Links:

00:00:00  Opening

• Sign up to our Team for the October Big Day

00:01:12  Past Episode

• Past episode: Beccy Speight and Patricia Zurita

00:01:59 Introduction

00:03:21 Conversation with Bridget Butler begins

• Bird Diva website
• Intro to Slow Birding

Get 25% off the cost of the course with the code CASUALBIRDER25.

00:21:26 Promo for The Wilder Skies Podcast

00:22:01 More about Slow Birding

00:53:20 Keep in touch and support the show

• Tell me about your birding
• Buy me a virtual coffee on Ko-Fi.com
• The Casual Birder Bird Club - sign up
• Fundraiser for BirdLife International

00:54:03 Wrap and Close

The Casual Birder Podcast   https://casualbirder.com/

Thanks to Randy Braun for designing the artwork for the show.

The theme music is Short Sleeved Shirt by The Drones. Thanks to them for letting me use it. Check out their website at www.dronesmusic.net

Beccy Speight (Chief Executive of the RSPB) and Patricia Zurita (former CEO of BirdLife International and now Chief Strategy Officer of Conservation International) join Suzy to share their insight on changing perceptions and overcoming challenges as women in the conservation community.

And we hear how each would spend a fantasy birding day.

Recorded at Global Birdfair 2023

Timestamps & Links:

00:00:00  Opening

The October Big Day takes place this year on October 14th and The Casual Birder Podcast will again be entering a team.

We will also be supporting BirdLife International. Help us reach our fundraising target!

Just Giving link

00:01:12  Past Episode

Past episode: Focus on Birders: Chiara Talia

00:01:30 Introduction

00:02:32 Conversation with Beccy and Patricia begins

00:03:13 Patricia Zurita introduces BirdLife International and her path to joining the organisation.

00:05:26 Beccy Speight introduces the work of the RSPB and her background in conservation.

00:07:49 Beccy shares two birding memories that inspired her

00:09:00 Engaging with communities 

00:09:40 Patricia shares the International perspective

00:11:48 Beccy speaks of the power of documentaries like Wild Isles to raise awareness

00:14:22 Overcoming Challenges and Changing Perceptions

00:17:06 The Importance of Collaboration and Diversity in Leadership

00:20:00 A fantasy birding day: where would you go, what you see?

00:20:15 Patricia - New Hummingbird species in Ecuador   

00:20:45 Beccy - Shetland soundscapes

BirdLife International

RSPB

00:22:00 Suzy’s Birding

00:22:02 In search of a Nightjar

00:25:31 Stone-Curlew

00:27:38 Mis-identifying a Common Tern

00:28:18 Support the Show

Contribute to the show's tip jar

00:28:46 Keep in touch

Tell me about your birding

The Casual Birder Bird Club - sign up

00:29:10 Wrap and Close

Thanks to Randy Braun for designing the artwork for the show.

The theme music is Short Sleeved Shirt by The Drones. Thanks to them for letting me use it. Check out their website at www.dronesmusic.net

The Casual Birder Podcast   https://casualbirder.com/

Chiara Talia's gorgeous photographs, along with her tips on how to improve at both birding and bird photography, make her Instagram account a must for everyone's feed.

In this episode, Chiara tells Suzy how a walk in the park, and a chance encounter with a European Robin, led to a passion for bird photography and a pathway to healing at a time when she was struggling with her mental health.

We also hear about her experiences using a floating bird hide in Slovenia, and her search for the Southern Cassowary in Australia.

00:00:09  Opening

The Casual Birder Bird Club - sign up

00:01:09  Past Episode

Past episode: Mel Shepherd-Wells

00:01:25 Introduction

00:02:40 Interview with Chiara Talia begins

00:05:15 The moment that changed everything

00:07:06 European Robin and Chiara’s pathway to healing 

00:10:22 Learning about birds is fundamental to bird photography

00:14:02 Chiara’s process for managing photo files

00:19:44 Canon Young Talent 2021 and increasing confidence

00:23:10 Floating Hide photography in Slovenia

00:29:35 Promo for The Wildlife Community Podcast

The Wildlife Community Podcast

00:30:25 Birding in Australia

00:41:22 How Chiara shares knowledge and joy via Instagram

00:46:02 Find Chiara online

Chiara on Instagram

Chiara's website

00:47:11 Suzy’s Shout-outs

00:51:04 Your birding stories

Tell me about your birding

00:54:04 Support the Show

Buy me a virtual coffee on Ko-Fi.com

00:54:22 Wrap and Close

The Casual Birder Podcast   https://casualbirder.com/

Don't miss an episode - follow the show!

Thanks to Randy Braun for designing the artwork for the show and to The Drones for the theme music Short Sleeved Shirt. Check out their website at www.dronesmusic.net

Long-time birder, Mel Shepherd-Wells, joins Suzy in a delightful chat about his birding adventures, and shares some top tips applicable to all birders.

Links:

The Casual Birder Bird Club - sign up

The UK Wildlife Podcast

Support the Show - Buy me a virtual coffee on Ko-Fi.com

The Casual Birder Podcast   https://casualbirder.com/

Don't miss an episode - follow the show!

Thanks to Randy Braun for designing the artwork for the show and to The Drones for the theme music Short Sleeved Shirt. Check out their website at www.dronesmusic.net