Podcasts by This Birding Life (Enhanced)
This Birding Life: Enhanced Podcast. This Birding Life is a podcast from the folks at Bird Watcher
Further podcasts by Bird Watcher’s Digest
Podcast on the topic Hobbys
All episodes
Episode 9: A Conversation with Kenn Kaufman from 2023-12-14T10:41:32.844373
Birding all-star Kenn Kaufman talks about his life with birds, his early days as a bird watcher, his latest field guides, the great Roger Tory Peterson, and the future of birding.
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Episode 14: birdJam: a Revolution in Bird Identification from 2023-12-14T10:41:32.833457
Bill Thompson, III talks with birdJam cofounders Jay Davis and Denese VanDyne about the origins and potential of birdJam.
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Episode 17: Adventures in Birding With Bryan Bland from 2023-12-14T10:41:32.811621
Bill Thompson, III, asks birding tour leader Bryan Bland to recount his memorable travels to India and beyond.
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Episode 19: Love and Death Among the Cranes from 2023-12-14T10:41:32.807266
Bill Thompson, III, interviews Phoebe Linnea Thompson, his daughter and co-author on The Young Birder’s Guide to Birds of Eastern North America.
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Episode 21: Saving the Cebu Flowerpecker from 2023-12-14T10:41:32.802684
Bill Thompson, III, talks with Lisa Marie Paguntalan about saving one of the rarest birds in the world.
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Episode 24: Birding in Panama from 2023-12-14T10:41:32.797461
During an eight-day birding trip to Panama, Host Bill Thompson, III interviews traveling companions for experiences and impressions.
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Episode 29: Nature in Iraq from 2023-12-14T10:41:32.788872
Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews an Iraqi civil engineer and an American soldier about their shared interest in observing and restoring nature in the war-torn country of Iraq.
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Episode 33: An Interview with David Frankel, Director of "The Big Year" from 2023-12-14T10:41:32.781206
In this episode, TBL host Bill Thompson, III, interviews David Frankel, director of the movie“The Big Year.”
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Episode 44: Speakers from the’13 Midwest Birding Symposium from 2023-12-14T10:41:32.761972
Host Bill Thompson, III, shares audio excerpts from seven different presenters at the 2013 MBS.
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Episode 67: Katie Fallon, Vulture Evangelist from 2023-12-14T10:41:32.678256
Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews author/naturalist Katie Fallon about her latest book“Vulture”and about her deep fascination with these carrion-eating, much-misunderstood birds.
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Episode 70: Ian Harding and Odd Birds from 2023-12-14T10:41:32.671622
Bill chats with actor/birder Ian Harding, star of the television show“Pretty Little Liars,”about his new book“Odd Birds.”In the book, Ian writes about everything from Hollywood stardom and chasing ...
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Episode 77: Point and Shoot Photography from 2023-12-14T10:41:32.658522
Host Bill Thompson, III, talks with Stephen Ingraham, author of "Point and Shoot Nature Photography," about the explosive popularity of small, super-zoom cameras. Steve has decades of experience as...
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Episode 83: Tom Stephenson and BirdGenie from 2023-12-14T10:41:32.646926
Tom Stephenson is the creator of BirdGenie, an app that recognizes bird songs recorded on your cellphone. Bill interviews Tom about his fascination with sound and sound technology, the cross-over b...
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Episode 90: The Final Episode! An Interview with Mark Garland from 2019-08-29T10:00
Grab the Kleenex: This is the final episode that TBL host Bill Thompson, III, recorded before succumbing to pancreatic cancer on March 25, 2019. Bill interviews Mark S. Garland, a naturalist who ha...
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Episode 89: An Interview with Jeff and Liz Gordon from 2019-07-24T12:00
In July and August, This Birding Life will feature two episodes that Bill Thompson, III, recorded before succumbing to pancreatic cancer on March 25, 2019. In this episode Bill interviews longtime ...
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Best of This Birding Life: The Early Days of Bird Watcher's Digest from 2019-06-04T12:00
As you may know, our beloved TBL host Bill Thompson, III, died on March 25, after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. What you may not know is that Bill's mother, Bird Watcher's Digest founding ...
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Best of This Birding Life: Music and Birds: Jonathan Meiberg of Shearwater from 2019-05-14T12:00
Originally recorded in 2010, this episode of TBL features host Bill Thompson, III, interviewing Jonathan Meiberg, a birder and leader of the indie-rock band Shearwater. Both a musician and a bird w...
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Best of This Birding Life: The Birding Life of Greg Miller from 2019-04-18T12:00
In this popular episode from 2011, TBL host Bill Thompson, III, interviewed Greg Miller, an Ohio birder who served as inspiration for the character played by actor Jack Black in the feature film Th...
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Episode 88: Jim McCormac: A Man for All Seasons from 2019-03-06T12:00
Bill interviews Ohio birding legend Jim McCormac about his lifelong fascination with nature, his career preserving special places and creatures in Ohio, and his many other accomplishments. Jim is t...
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Best of This Birding Life: Adventure at Rapa Nui with Alvaro Jaramillo from 2019-02-14T12:00
TBL host Bill Thompson, III, will be away from the BWD home nest for a while. We hope soon to resume new episodes of the podcast we all know and love, but in the interim, we're taking a trip down m...
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Best of This Birding Life: Snowy Owl Invasion with Scott Weidensaul from 2019-01-17T12:00
TBL host Bill Thompson, III, will be away from the BWD home nest for a while. We hope soon to resume new episodes of the podcast we all know and love, but in the interim, we're taking a trip down m...
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Episode 87: Melissa Groo: Wildlife Biographer from 2018-12-11T12:00
Melissa Groo joins Bill to talk about her life and the late start she got to her amazing career as a“wildlife biographer.”Though she is most famous for her captivating bird and wildlife photographs...
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Episode 86: Juan the Guan and Other Birding Stories from 2018-11-26T12:00
During a recent trip to South America, Bill collected stories from six of his fellow travelers and shares them here. Included are stories about Juan the Guan, a treacherous journey to Noir Island, ...
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Episode 85: Cape A-May-Zing: A Visit to Cape May, New Jersey from 2018-10-18T12:00
Join host Bill Thompson, III, on his recent birding tour of renowned hotspot Cape May, New Jersey, where he interviews Tom Reed, Mark Garland, and Dr. David LaPuma, expert migration counters from t...
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Episode 84: A Birder's Guide to Murder, with JR Ripley from 2018-09-12T12:00
Author JR Ripley chats with Bill about his recent birder-murder mystery novel A Birder's Guide to Murder, set at the American Birding Expo. The book is part of the Bird Lover's Mystery series publi...
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Episode 82: Birding in Colombia Part 2: Camarones from 2018-07-16T12:00
In part 2 of Birding in Columbia, TBL host Bill Thompson, III, travels to the Caribbean lowlands near Camarones to visit additional sites along the Northern Colombia Birding Trail. We hear from thr...
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Episode 81: Birding in Colombia Part 1: Santa Marta Mountains from 2018-06-20T12:00
In Part 1 of Birding in Colombia, Bill joins a group of avid birders in the Santa Marta region of northern Colombia to explore the Northern Colombia Birding Trail. Besides amazing birding and lots ...
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Episode 80: Erik Bruhnke, the World's Happiest Birdman from 2018-05-08T12:00
During his recent trip to Honduras, TBL host Bill Thompson, III, interviewed naturalist, photographer, and birding guide Erik Bruhnke. Their conversation covers Erik's start as a birder, his favori...
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Episode 79: Meet the California Young Birders Club from 2018-04-18T12:00
Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews Elisa, Cayenne, BJ, and Ryan, founding members of the California Young Birders Club. These young adults share their birding origin stories, discuss what it's lik...
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Episode 78: James Adams and the Closing of Pico Bonito from 2018-03-21T12:00
Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews James Adams, co-manager of the Lodge and Spa at Pico Bonito in Honduras, about the recent news that the lodge's owners plan to close it down. Pico Bonito is one ...
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Episode 76: Noah Strycker's World Big Year from 2018-01-24T12:00
Bill talks with Noah Strycker, self-described birdman and adventurer, who was the first person ever to see more than 6,000 bird species in a single, worldwide birding Big Year. Noah is the author o...
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Episode 75: Snowy Owl Invasion with Scott Weidensaul from 2017-12-27T12:00
Owl expert Scott Weidensaul joins Bill for a discussion of this winter's invasion of snowy owls from the Arctic. Through Project SNOWstorm (co-founded by Scott), a volunteer field research program ...
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Episode 74: Birding Taiwan from 2017-11-30T12:00
Bill's recent birding trip to Taiwan is the subject of this episode. Taiwan is an island off the coast of China, with a large number of endemic and near-endemic bird species. While it is a modern c...
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Episode 73: More Birding Stories from 2017-11-02T12:00
Host Bill Thompson, III, recently traveled to Taiwan. Four of his travel companions tell fascinating stories about their birding adventures from around the world. Ranging from light-hearted to down...
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Episode 72: An Interview with ABA President Jeff Gordon from 2017-09-25T12:00
Bill chats with ABA President Jeff Gordon about his start as a birder, new and young birder outreach, ghillie suits, The Big Year movie, swirlies, Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook communities, the sear...
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Episode 71: Catherine Hamilton, Bird Artist for Conservation from 2017-08-30T12:00
Bill interviews artist Catherine Hamilton about her evolution as a bird artist, what inspires her art, her favorite subject matter, her field sketching abilities, and her dedication to supporting b...
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Episode 69: Three Fabulous Birding Festivals from 2017-06-28T12:00
Bill chats with the organizers of three successful--and very different--annual birding festivals in the U.S.: the Acadia Birding Festival in Maine, the New River Birding&Nature Festival in West Vir...
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Episode 68: Jan Pierson and Field Guides from 2017-05-24T12:00
Bill enjoys a wide-ranging interview with Jan Pierson, one of the founders of Field Guides Birding Tours. Topics range from Jan's late and unexpected start as a birder to the collaborative ownershi...
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Episode 66: Cat Wars from 2017-03-24T12:00
Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews ornithologist Peter Marra, co-author of the book“Cat Wars: The Deadly Consequences of a Cuddly Killer.”The book examines the conservation, environmental, social,...
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Episode 65: Champions of the Flyway, Part II from 2017-02-27T12:00
Host Bill Thompson, III, recounts last year's Champions of the Flyway bird race in Israel where his team, the Way-Off Coursers, raised more than $12K for conservation. The event as a whole raised m...
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Episode 64: Voices of India from 2017-01-17T12:00
Host Bill Thompson, III, takes us on a journey to India for the second-annual Uttar Pradesh Bird Festival and introduces us to fellow birders from India and around the world.
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Episode 63: Voices of the Honduras Birding for Conservation Tour from 2016-12-09T12:00
Host Bill Thompson, III, talks to participants in the 2016 Honduras Birding for Conservation Tour which raised more than$50,000 for conservation projects.
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Episode 62: An Interview with Rockjumper Birding Tours from 2016-10-31T12:00
Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews Adam Riley and Keith Valentine of Rockjumper Birding Tours. His guests talk about birding tourism, unknown destinations, doing well by doing good, and share thei...
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Episode 61: My Jinx Bird from 2016-09-30T12:00
Host Bill Thompson, III, takes us along on a quest to find his jinx bird, the Connecticut warbler, in northernmost Minnesota.
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Episode 60: A Visit to the Cornell Lab from 2016-08-07T12:00
Join host Bill Thompson, III, on a visit to the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology in Ithaca, NY and learn more about the Lab’s citizen science projects, bird conservation research, young birders ou...
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Episode 59: Birding Portugal from 2016-07-01T12:00
Host Bill Thompson, III, takes us along on a week of birding in southern Portugal. This European country is a world famous destination for wine, seafood, history, culture, and now, birding! Portuga...
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Episode 58: A Conversation with Julie Zickefoose from 2016-05-25T12:00
TBL host Bill Thompson, III, enjoys a wide-ranging conversation with author/artist/naturalist Julie Zickefoose about her new book:“Baby Birds: An Artist Looks Into the Nest.”
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Episode 57: The Honduras Birding for Conservation Tour from 2016-04-22T10:00
TBL host Bill Thompson, III, chats about the upcoming Honduras Birding for Conservation Tour with founder James Adams and event guides Jeffrey A. Gordon and Alex Alvarado.
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Episode 56: Champions of the Flyway, Part I from 2016-02-25T10:00
TBL Host Bill Thompson, III, examines the monumental conservation effort being undertaken to stop the illegal killing of birds along the Mediterranean flyway.
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Episode 55: Backyard Rarity, Part II from 2016-01-29T10:00
TBL host Bill Thompson, III, gets deeper into the experience of finding a rare western flycatcher in his Ohio backyard.
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Episode 54: Backyard Rarity, Part I from 2015-12-28T10:00
TBL host Bill Thompson, III, talks with avid birders who came from hours away to see a rare bird in his backyard.
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Episode 53: Great Birding Stories, Vol. 1 from 2015-11-11T10:00
TBL host Bill Thompson, III, takes us along on the first part of a journey to Uganda in East Africa where he competed in the annual Birding Big Day in Murchison Falls National Park.
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Episode 52: Birding in Uganda, Part II from 2015-10-23T10:00
TBL host Bill Thompson, III, takes us along on the first part of a journey to Uganda in East Africa where he competed in the annual Birding Big Day in Murchison Falls National Park.
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Episode 51: Birding in Uganda, Part I from 2015-07-10T12:00
TBL host Bill Thompson, III, takes us along on the first part of a journey to Uganda in East Africa where he competed in the annual Birding Big Day in Murchison Falls National Park.
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Episode 50: Interview with Ted Floyd of the ABA from 2015-05-27T12:00
TBL Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews Ted Floyd, editor of Birding Magazine from the American Birding Association.
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Episode 49: A Visit to the British Bird Fair, Part II from 2015-03-20T12:00
TBL Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews a few of the many interesting personalities at the British Birdwatching Fair, an event held each August at Rutland Water Preserve in central England.
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Episode 48: A Visit to the British Bird Fair, Part I from 2014-12-10T12:00
TBL Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews a few of the many interesting personalities at the British Birdwatching Fair, an event held each August at Rutland Water Preserve in central England.
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Episode 47: Sketches of Homer, Alaska from 2014-08-11T11:00
TBL Host Bill Thompson, III, shares audio recordings of some of the very fun and unusual events associated with the 2014 Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival held in Homer, Alaska.
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Episode 46: The Voices of Argentina from 2014-06-11T11:00
TBL Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews fellow birders, local guides, and other interesting people whom he encountered on a 10-day birding trip to Argentina.
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Episode 45: Jeff Bouton and the Amazon Kingfisher from 2014-01-31T11:00
Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews Jeff Bouton, the birder who found an Amazon kingfisher near Harlingen, Texas at the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival.
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Episode 43: Elsa Thompson and BWD: The Early Days from 2013-08-15T11:00
Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews Bird Watcher’s Digest’s Founding Publisher Elsa Thompson about the early days of the magazine.
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Episode 42: Jeffrey Kimball and Birders: The Central Park Effect from 2013-05-29T12:00
Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews Jeffrey Kimball, creator of the movie“Birders: The Central Park Effect.”
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Episode 41: The Past, Present, and Future of Birding Optics from 2013-03-22T12:00
Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews Stephen Ingraham, optics specialist from Carl Zeiss Sports Optics, about technology, photography, the Internet, and how he became known as an optics expert.
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Episode 40: Optics-Buying Advice With Ben Lizdas, Part II from 2012-11-28T12:00
Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews Eagle Optics sales manager Ben Lizdas about prism types, considerations for nature-watching, and much more.
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Episode 39: Optics-Buying Advice With Ben Lizdas, Part I from 2012-10-12T12:00
Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews Eagle Optics sales manager Ben Lizdas about the optics buying process, the questions customers ask about binoculars, how much to spend, choosing the right power,...
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Episode 38: Young Birders at the Hog Island Audubon Camp from 2012-08-13T12:00
Host Bill Thompson, III, speaks with five teenage campers about their experiences at the Hog Island Audubon Camp.
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Episode 37: Birding the Hula Valley of Israel from 2012-06-05T12:00
Host Bill Thompson, III, talks with three of Israel’s leading bird authorities about why this Mideast country is such a mecca for birds and for birders.
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Episode 36: The Sounds of Spring at Indigo Hill from 2012-04-23T12:00
TBL host Bill Thompson, III, shares recordings of bird calls heralding the arrival of spring on Indigo Hill.
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Episode 35: The Snowy Owl Invasion from 2012-02-13T11:00
TBL host Bill Thompson, III, and some birding companions take a trip to see a snowy owl and they get much more than they bargained for!
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Episode 34: The Birding Life of Greg Miller from 2011-11-18T11:00
Greg Miller, an Ohio birder who served as inspiration for one of the characters in“The Big Year”, tell the story of his own birding life.
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Episode 32: Trekking for the Philippine Eagle from 2011-08-25T11:00
BWD editor Bill Thompson, III, reads his account of a trek to see the Philippine Eagle on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines.
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Episode 31: An Interview with Michael Male from 2011-06-14T11:00
Bill Thompson, III, interviews Michael Male, one of the world’s leading nature videographers.
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Episode 30: Sophie Webb: Life at Sea from 2011-02-23T11:00
Bill Thompson, III, interviews Sophie Webb, an ornithologist/artist/author from California who spends much of each year at sea aboard an oceanic research vessel.
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Episode 28: The Bird Call Lady from 2010-09-17T12:00
Host Bill Thompson, III, talks with Nicole Perretta a.k.a The Bird Call Lady about her ability to imitate the songs and calls of more than 130 species of birds.
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Episode 27: Music and Birds: Jonathan Meiberg of Shearwater from 2010-07-26T12:00
Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews Jonathan Meiberg, a birder and leader of the indie-rock band Shearwater.
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Episode 26: Voices of Guyana from 2010-05-28T12:00
Host Bill Thompson, III, journeys to Guyana and interviews Amerindian guides, ecotourism visionaries, international travel experts, and government officials about this world-class birding destination.
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Episode 25: An Englishman in Florida from 2010-02-16T12:00
English birder Bo Beolens,“the Fatbirder,”recounts his first birding trip to Florida.
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Episode 23: The Big Sit! from 2009-11-12T12:00
Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews participants in the 2008 Big Sit! held in the birding tower on his farm, Indigo Hill, in southeastern Ohio.
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Episode 22: Snippets From a Life Gone to the Birds from 2009-10-21T12:00
Humorist Al Batt recounts his experiences with all aspects of the natural world at the 2009 Midwest Birding Symposium in Lakeside, Ohio.
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Episode 20: iBird and the Evolution of the Digital Field Guide from 2009-05-22T11:00
Bill Thompson, III, talks with Mitchell Waite about iBird and the future of digital field guides in general.
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Episode 18: Phoebe and The Young Birder’s Guide from 2008-12-12T12:00
Bill Thompson, III, interviews Phoebe Linnea Thompson, his daughter and co-author on The Young Birder’s Guide to Birds of Eastern North America.
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Episode 16: Capsized by Rogue Wave from 2008-08-28T12:00
Lisa White from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt reads an excerpt from All Things Reconsidered, by Roger Tory Peterson and edited by Bill Thompson, III.
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Episode 15: Birding the World With Victor Emanuel from 2008-08-11T12:00
Bill Thompson, III talks with Victor Emanuel and discusses his inspiration for creating a worldwide birding and nature tour company.
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Episode 13: The Singing Life of Birds from 2008-03-20T12:00
Author Donald Kroodsma discusses the art and science behind listening to bird songs.
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Episode 12: Paradise Lost from 2008-01-17T12:00
Artist, author, and naturalist Julie Zickefoose reads Paradise Lost, an essay from her latest book, Letters from Eden.
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Episode 11: Adventure on Rapa Nui from 2007-10-19T10:00
Tropical birding expert Alvaro Jaramillo took a side trip to Rapa Nui (Easter Island), which became one of the best experiences of his birding life.
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Episode 10: A Conversation with Lang Elliott from 2007-07-20T10:00
Lang Elliott, the mighty maven of bird sound in North America, talks about his inspiration and renowned work in recording nature sounds.
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Episode 8: A Five Hawk Experience from 2007-04-25T12:00
Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews bird artist Keith Hansen, who describes a mind-blowing hawk encounter outside of his Bolinas, California art studio.
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Episode 7: A Postcard from Tikal from 2007-03-21T19:00
Visiting Guatemala and the ancient Mayan city of Tikal, Host Bill Thompson, III, Julie Zickefoose, and Jeff Gordon discuss tropical birding and the birds of Tikal from the top of a Mayan temple.
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