Out There With the Birds

Los dos pajareros recorded this episode in two segments from the porch of their rustic accommodation at The Lodge at Pico Bonito. In part one they chat about the wonders of birding in the tropics. In part two they discuss the proposed closing of the Pico Bonito Lodge and what a sad possibility that would be. They have no solid update on the OTWTB Global Big Year Challenge™ because they haven't counted recently.

Spring birds and birding are on the minds of the lads in this episode. Bill waxes rhapsodic about seeing a timberdoodle and shares some tips for getting ready for spring migration. Ben is preparing for a XC skiing race and bragging about closing the gap in the OTWTB Global Big Year Challenge™. Then the guys confess their musical love and admiration for Edie Brickell.

Fresh from the Space Coast Birding Festival, Bill and Ben welcome special guest Clay Taylor from Swarovski Optik to talk about his start in the bird biz, birding festivals, bird photography, and why Corpus Christi, Texas, is the continent's birdiest city. Ben and Bill reconvene after the Reader Rendezvous to discuss the glamor birds of Florida, Ben's gull resolution, bus engine trouble, great birding guides Adam and Gina Kent, and playing darts under the unwavering gaze of Mel Gibson. Then Ben refuses to share his species count during a global Big Year challenge update, despite Bill's emotional support and encouragement.

Bill and Ben launch their OTWTB Global Big Year Challenge to see which of them can see the most birds in 2018. They discuss the Polar Bear Club, favorite birding gear for travel, high-end compact binoculars, the wonders of Merino wool, and they welcome two new sponsors: Swarovski Optik and Redstart Birding.

The lads gab about a huge array of topics, including their first birds of the year, their birding resolutions, planning the (bird) garden, gearing up for 2018 birding events, seeking the chalk-dusted barley hopper, and some wildly disparate music recommendations.

As they pass the quarter-century mark for episodes, the fellas sit inside on a snowy day and chat about winter birding, the recent Rock & Roll Reader Rendezvous in Cleveland, Jen Brumfield's record-setting county Big Year, the treasures held by the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, snowy owls, spark birds and spark jobs, Balto the wonder dog, and Audubon's cackling goose. Bill's RockHall music recommedation is to listen to Prince's guitar solo on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." And, as an aside, Ben is getting back into optics retail.

Ben and Bill recorded this episode while sitting outside in southeastern Ohio. They chat about Ben's recent experiences at the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival in Texas, and the upcoming events at the Space Coast Birding Festival in Florida. Nemesis birds, missed rarities, hoped-for sightings, smelly vans, dump birding, birding skill-building and field-sketching workshops, Tamaulipas and Rain Crows, and shooting video versus recording an audio podcast are all topics that arise in this episode. Then, Bill drove Ben to the airport.

Just returned from yet another trip to Costa Rica, Ben spares a few minutes from his travels to chat with Bill about umbrellabirds, sunbitterns, pearl kites, U.S. birder demographics, birder types, the joys of guiding casual novice birders, and the time his mother-in-law got busted trying to smuggle cheese internationally. The boys also talk about upcoming Reader Rendezvous adventures in Florida and Colorado. Finally, Bill has a throw-back musical recommendation: Squeeze: Singles 45's and Under.

Ben Lizdas has been to Costa Rica twice this fall (lucky dog). In this episode he talks with some of his fellow participants in the Costa Rica Birding Challenge about birding in the tropics, birding competitions, ecolodges, and the wonders of Costa Rica. Sadly, (or perhaps not) Bill is almost completely excluded from this episode, but there's still a strong Thompson Family presence: That's Bill's daughter Phoebe doing the intro and outro voiceover.

Through the magic of Skype the fellas hold down a conversation about rare birds, The Big Sit!, big sit strategy and rules, big years, world big years, and birding competitions. They also dip into the ornithological literature for a sidebar about male duck reproductive strategy. WARNING: Contains a short discussion of male duck genitalia.

The boys have a chinwag while walking the aisles of the 2017 American Birding Expo, near Philadelphia, PA. 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 also discuss the Walking Dead fan event going on next door to the Expo. The episode ends with them heading over to find some zombies. We don't know if they ever came back.

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 ecotourism dollars in the future. Finally, Bill has a musical recommendation: "So You Want to Be an Outlaw," the new album from Steve Earle & the Dukes.

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 birders, international travel, and the upcoming American Birding Expo.

The guys 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 North Carolina. Shout outs to: "Easy Rider", the ABA, the British Birdwatching Fair, Patty Larkin, Lauren Barth, The Knack, and Dexy's Midnight Runners.

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 also has a cool music recommendation for our listeners: Jake La Botz.