Ben and Bill have a chinwag while walking the aisles of the 2017 American Birding Expo, near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They stop to speak with friends from Chile, Australia, Uganda, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania about a variety of birding-related topics, including birding cameras, Rapa Nui, birds and wine, gorillas, shoe-billed storks, kangaroos, and new birders. They… Read more »
Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Ivan, Gloria, and others dominate the boys’ conversation in this episode. They discuss the impact of severe storms on people, birds, and birding as well as the possible extinction of birds such as the Cozumel thrasher and the Barbuda warbler. Also discussed is how we birders can help weather-devastated communities with our… Read more »
The lads pause for a post-BirdFair beer and chat in the back garden of the Lord Nelson pub in charming Oakham, England. They touch on a plethora of topics, including English beer, customs, currency, conservation ethos, and English as a second English language. Plus they dance across other topics, including ecotourism, the political clout of… Read more »
Ben and Bill talk about birding along borders and why it’s often so good. They also discuss how the proposed border wall in South Texas is a horrible thing for birds and nature and will ruin a great birding site. They talk about their best border birding adventures in Texas, Arizona, Alaska, Minnesota, Hawaii, and… Read more »
The sun has a spot on it! I’ve seen it with my own eyes, viewed from the Bird Watcher’s Digest parking lot. Of course I’ve long known that there are sunspots, but—like black holes and supernovae—I thought a massive telescope with a special lens was required to see them. Today, I stared at the sun… Read more »
Located on the edge of the Seward Peninsula and just south of the Arctic Circle, Nome in May and June offers up an amazing diversity of migrating and nesting birds that can be seen on the mainland of North America. From rare Asian vagrants, to long-distant migrants and hardy residents, approximately 160 bird species are… Read more »
Are we humans really on top of the food chain? Recent research and stories from the field may tell us we’re not. The two Birding Bs talk about smart birds (ravens), soulful birds (jays and hawks), voracious insects, the smell of a herd of elk in heat, dangerous moments in nature, and much more. Bill… Read more »
The guys talk about the many ways birds are symbolic for humans. From the U.S. national symbol (the bald eagle) to a fight over the Oregon state bird, to wise owls, canaries in coal mines, beer labels, and bird tattoos, the guys cover topics like a sleeve of… Read more »
Ben & Bill talk about the connections between birding and music, and how music lovers are good at birding by ear; famous birders; the new book Good Birders STILL Don’t Wear White; and how cowbirds learn their own song. Bill’s “The Song in My Head” recommendation is Aimee Mann’s new album, Mental Illness. https://www.birdwatchersdigest.net/podcasts/otwtb/episode15.mp3
By Mollee Brown, Marketing Assistant Bird Watcher’s Digest On the east side of Wisconsin, up the coast from Milwaukee and north of Green Bay, a peninsula juts into Lake Michigan. Small, charming towns line the narrow stretch with views of small islands and the gentle waves of the lake glimpsed through towering pines and impressive… Read more »
