Bird Banter

The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #57 with Pete Salmansohn

Pete Salmansohn, knows as Puffin Pete, is my guest on The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #57.  Pete has worked as an educator for National Audubon Society and other organizations, and has been especially involved in education about seabirds off the Maine Coast.  We talk about the highly successful and ongoing reintroduction of Atlantic Puffins and other seabirds to breeding islands off the Maine Coast.  Enjoy.

We talk about Hog Island Audubon Camp and here is a link to their site.

Here is a link to a 2010 Science article on the Puffin Reintroduction.

Here is another article about the work of their project.  I like this one a lot.

Here is a link to one of Pete's children's books on Amazon.  

Be sure to check out the blog post on BirdBanter.com to see more related info.

Good birding. Good Day!

The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #56 with Mike Bergin

On this episode I talk with Mike Bergin, the founder of the largest Birding Blog on the internet about how 10,000 Birds came about, its incredible run of popularity, and about his birding story.  Mike is a true birding ambassador and I expect you to enjoy listening.  

Here is a link to 10,000 Birds 

We mention the Suzie Gilbert, my guest on the last episode of this podcast, has new novel published recently. You can buy a copy of Unflappable on her website.  

Be sure to leave a rating and review on your podcast feel site about this episode or The Bird Banter Podcast in general.  

Thanks and good birding.  Good Day!

The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #55 with Suzie Gilbert

On Episode #55 I talk with bird rehabilitator and author Suzie Gilbert.  We talk about her progression from volunteer at a local raptor rehab program where her experience as a writer led to a newspaper column, a children's book and eventually to having her own in-home bird rehab center. Her first adult book was a memoir about the challenges of trying to balance life as a Mom and a rehab center owner and manager.  Her new novel, which I can vouch for as a fine read, is Unflappable, a novel about a young woman on the lam with a bald eagle she is trying to smuggle from Florida to Ontario, Canada.  It is fun to talk about her passion for birds and her writing career.  Enjoy. 

You can buy Unflappable at Amazon or Barnes and Noble online.

Her website is SuzieGilbert.com

We talk about her time as a writer for 10,000 Birds, a top birding blog.  

Here is a link to the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association website Suzie mentioned where you can learn lots about bird and other wildlife rehab. 

Be sure to check out my blog post with more details about the episode at Birdbanter.com.

 

Until next time. 

Good birding. Good day!

The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #54 with Nate Chappell

In this episode Nate and I talk about his early birding years in the Tacoma area with his older brother Chris, his early photography on a birding trip to South Africa, and his progression from birding into becoming a professional nature photographer and photography tour leader.  It's a fun story, and I think you'll enjoy hearing about Nate's career and travels. 

You can follow Nate on facebook @ChappellPhoto  or at his web site http://www.trogontours.net/

The Tahoma Audubon Society that Nate mentions has lots of field trips as well as having a Christmas Bird Count.  You can find theim at https://www.tahomaaudubon.org/

Be sure to check out my web site Bird Banter 

Until next time.  Good birding and good day. 

The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #53 with Ryan Merrill

Ryan Merrill and I talk about his birding story,  birding in Washington State, and about his local patch birding.  He also talks about his work on the Washington Bird Records Committee, and life as the husband/father in a family with a young child as a birder.  Enjoy. 

Photo Credit:  The photo of the Swallow-tailed Kite used in the thumbnail for this episode is by Laurel Parshall.  You can hear Laurel and other "Willettes" on episode #20 of The Bird Banter Podcast. 

You can reach Ryan by e-mail: rjm284-at-gmail-dot-com

Here is a link to the Washington Bird Records Committee site:  http://wos.org/records/

This is info about the Seattle Audubon Society Young Birders activities:  https://www.seattleaudubon.org/sas/About/EnvironmentalEducation/YoungBirders.aspx

The Swallow-tailed Gull Ryan found in WA made the  local media in many places. Here is an example:  https://www.heraldnet.com/news/this-very-rare-bird-in-edmonds-is-4000-miles-from-home/

Ryan talks about Carkeek Park near his home in Seattle. Here is info about that local park:  https://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/carkeek-park

I hope you all stay well, get birding often, and until next time. Good birding. Good day!

The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #52 with Stephanie Seymour

On this episode I am joined by Stephanie Seymour, the artist of the recently released album There Are Birds.  She is an avid birder, has her own private official hawkwatch station at her home in New jersey, and is a longtime professional musician.  This album has 12 songs, each with the song title being the name of a listable North American bird except the final track, Migration is Over.  Three of the songs are included in this podcast. Enjoy.

You can buy Stephanie's album at her website: There Are Birds

If that hyperlink does not work just go to http://www.therearebirds.com/

We mention the birding in Central Park with Saphir who led walks in spring there for about 40 years before her death.  The movie, The Central Park Effect is very cool, and features Saphir in part.  https://www.birdwatchingdaily.com/news/birdwatching/film-central-park-birders-explores-birdwatching-deeply-human-activity/

Find more at my blog at http://birdbanter.com/index.php/category/thebirdbanterpodcastblog/

Until next time.  Good birding. Good day. 

The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #51 with Lane Epps and Corrie Fulsom-O'Keefe

Lane Epps and Corrie Fulsom-O’Keefe Episode Podcast notes

On the Bird Banter Podcast Episode #51 I talk with two women who have maintained and nourished a long-time and long-distance birding relationship.  They actually used a recent episode of this podcast to help plan a birding trip to the Lower Rio Grande Valley, and interestingly on that podcast two of my best birding buddies and I talk about our trip.  I hope you enjoy the episode.

Lane works with the Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge, and here is a link to their website.  http://www.btnwildlife.org/

Here is a link to the Brookline Birding Club website  https://www.brooklinebirdclub.org/  This is the club that hosted the bird walk in the Boston Gardens where Land and Corrie first birded together.

Here is a link to the Bombay Hook NWR site mentioned in the episode  https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Bombay_Hook/

Until next time, good birding and good day!

 

The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #50 with Nathanael Swecker

In The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #50 Nathanael Swecker and I talk about his extensive experiences birding on the huge military post in Tacoma, Joint Base Lewis McChord, about his bird banding at the Morse Preserve, his work with the Tahoma Audubon Society where he is serving at the current president, and about his experience as an openly gay birder.  He is an exceptionally engaging and articulate guest, and I think you'll enjoy his story. 

You will find more details about this episode on the associated blog post on BirdBanter.com 

Enjoy. 

 

The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #49: Home from Texas

I got home from Texas this week, the next day chased and found a lingering Siberian Accentor in Cowlitz County for a new Washington State bird to me, and now sit down to reminisce about the trip to the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas.  I talk briefly about my time with Ken and Bruce, but mostly about stretching myself, leading a trip of 11 people to the valley, far outside my past trip-leading experience and off my home turf.  It worked out pretty well. I had fun and I think the others did too. We saw some cool birds, new places, and everyone got through it without undue stress or major problems.  
You can read more about the trip on the Birdbanter.com blog, or on the trip report on the ABC Birding Club website.

Thanks for listening.

Good birding. Good day!

The Bird Banter Podcast Episode #48 with Mary Gustafson

I’ve been in the LRGV now for almost 2 weeks, and am starting to feel like I can find my way around. I am also starting to meet some of the local birders, and today was able to meet with Mary Gustafson.  I

learned that Mary and I have at least one thing in common. Ken Brown was helpful to us in our earlier birding days. When Mary was at UPS Ken often took her out locally birding. You can hear Ken's birding story in episode #2. 

Mary is a top national birder, and has lived in the Lower RGV for about 15 years. She has been a trip guide here, has a long resume as an ornithologist working around the country and abroad, and was really fun to meet and talk with today.

She mentions that she worked at the National Bird Banding Center, and here is a link to their website. https://www.usgs.gov/centers/pwrc/science/bird-banding-laboratory?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects

She mentions Peter Pyle’s two tome book used by bird banders and museum curators for bird ID, aging, etc. Here is a link to that on amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Identification-Guide-North-American-Birds/dp/0961894024  This is part 1, part 2 is easy to find also. 

Here is the web site for the National Butterfly Center. https://www.nationalbutterflycenter.org/

Be sure to check out BirdBanter.com blog for more info, photos, etc. 

Follow @birdbanter on Facebook and  @birdbanter on twitter.  My error on the podcast, I changed my twitter handle from @dredpullen to @birdbanter. 

Good birding.  Good day!