Backyard Nature's Direct Feed from
Bird Watcher's Digest:
This Birding Life

This Birding Life is a podcast from the folks at Bird Watcher's Digest. And like the magazine's content, the topics covered by This Birding Life range far and wide -- from the backyard to the tropics, from bird feeding to bird chasing, from authors reading from their books to birders talking about their "spark" bird. This Birding Life is guaranteed to make you think, laugh, and want to spend more time out there with the birds. It's all about this wonderful hobby we share: watching and enjoying wild birds. Welcome to This Birding Life!

Last updated on  March 22nd, 2013

Episode 1: Letters from Eden, Julie Zickefoose: Click here
Artist, author, and naturalist Julie Zickefoose reads January Thaw, one of her winter essays from her new book, Letters from Eden.

Episode 2: Birding Technology, Part I: Click here
Bill Thompson, III, interviews naturalist Jeff Gordon at Bird Watch America.

Episode 3: Birding Technology, Part II: Click here
Bill Thompson, III, interviews naturalist Jeff Gordon, discussing technical trends in bird watching.

Episode 4: Return to Wild America by Scott Weidensaul: Click here
Author and naturalist Scott Weidensaul reads an excerpt from his book, Return to Wild America.

Episode 5: Interview with Scott Weidensaul: Click here
Bill Thompson, III, interviews Scott Weidensaul.

Episode 6: The Perils and Pitfalls of Birding: Click here
Recorded from his live presentation at the Space Coast Birding Festival, Bill Thompson, III, reveals the humorous side of bird watching.

Episode 7: A Postcard from Tikal: Click here
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.

Episode 8: A Five Hawk Experience: Click here
Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews bird artist Keith Hansen, who describes a mind-blowing hawk encounter outside of his Bolinas, California art studio.

Episode 9: A Conversation with Kenn Kaufman: Click here
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.

Episode 10: A Conversation with Lang Elliott: Click here
Lang Elliott, the mighty maven of bird sound in North America, talks about his inspiration and renowned work in recording nature sounds.

Episode 11: Adventure on Rapa Nui: Click here
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.

Episode 12: Paradise Lost: Click here
Artist, author, and naturalist Julie Zickefoose reads Paradise Lost, an essay from her latest book, Letters from Eden.

Episode 13: The Singing Life of Birds: Click here
Author Donald Kroodsma discusses the art and science behind listening to bird songs.

Episode 14: birdJam: a Revolution in Bird Identification: Click here
Bill Thompson, III talks with birdJam cofounders Jay Davis and Denese VanDyne about the origins and potential of birdJam.

Episode 15: Birding the World With Victor Emanuel: Click here
Bill Thompson, III talks with Victor Emanuel and discusses his inspiration for creating a worldwide birding and nature tour company.

Episode 16: Capsized by Rogue Wave: Click here
Lisa White from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt reads an excerpt from All Things Reconsidered, by Roger Tory Peterson and edited by Bill Thompson, III.

Episode 17: Adventures in Birding With Bryan Bland: Click here
Bill Thompson, III, asks birding tour leader Bryan Bland to recount his memorable travels to India and beyond.

Episode 18: Phoebe and The Young Birder's Guide: Click here
Bill Thompson, III, interviews Phoebe Linnea Thompson, his daughter and co-author on The Young Birder's Guide to Birds of Eastern North America.

Episode 19: Love and Death Among the Cranes: Click here
Julie Zickefoose reads her controversial column, "Love and Death Among the Cranes."

Episode 20: iBird and the Evolution of the Digital Field Guide: Click here
Bill Thompson, III, talks with Mitchell Waite about iBird and the future of digital field guides in general.

Episode 21: Saving the Cebu Flowerpecker: Click here
Bill Thompson, III, talks with Lisa Marie Paguntalan about saving one of the rarest birds in the world.

Episode 22: Snippets From a Life Gone to the Birds: Click here
Humorist Al Batt recounts his experiences with all aspects of the natural world at the 2009 Midwest Birding Symposium in Lakeside, Ohio.

Episode 23: The Big Sit!: Click here
Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews participants in the 2008 Big Sit! held in the birding tower on his farm, Indigo Hill, in southeastern Ohio.

Episode 24: Birding in Panama: Click here
During an eight-day birding trip to Panama, Host Bill Thompson, III interviews traveling companions for experiences and impressions.

Episode 25: An Englishman in Florida: Click here
English birder Bo Beolens, the Fatbirder, recounts his first birding trip to Florida.

Episode 26: Voices of Guyana: Click here
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.

Episode 27: Music and Birds: Jonathan Meiberg of Shearwater: Click here
Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews Jonathan Meiberg, a birder and leader of the indie-rock band Shearwater.

Episode 28: The Bird Call Lady: Click here
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.

Episode 29: Nature in Iraq: Click here
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.

Episode 30: Sophie Webb: Life at Sea: Click here
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.

Episode 31: An Interview with Michael Male: Click here
Bill Thompson, III, interviews Michael Male, one of the world's leading nature videographers.

Episode 32: Trekking for the Philippine Eagle: Click here
BWD editor Bill Thompson, III, reads his account of a trek to see the Philippine Eagle on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines.

Episode 33: An Interview with David Frankel: Click here
In this episode, TBL host Bill Thompson, III, interviews David Frankel, director of the movie "The Big Year."

Episode 34: The Birding Life of Greg Miller: Click here
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.

Episode 35: The Snowy Owl Invasion: Click here
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!

Episode 36: The Sounds of Spring at Indigo Hill: Click here
TBL host Bill Thompson, III, shares recordings of bird calls heralding the arrival of spring on Indigo Hill.

Episode 37: Birding the Hula Valley of Israel: Click here
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.

Episode 38: Young Birders at the Hog Island Audubon Camp: Click here
Host Bill Thompson, III, speaks with five teenage campers about their experiences at the Hog Island Audubon Camp.

Episode 39: Optics-Buying Advice With Ben Lizdas, Part I: Click here
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, and much more.

Episode 40: Optics-Buying Advice With Ben Lizdas, Part II: Click here
Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews Eagle Optics sales manager Ben Lizdas about prism types, considerations for nature-watching, and much more.

Episode 41: The Past, Present, and Future of Birding Optics: Click here
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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