Life List: A Birding Podcast

We catch up on Christmas Bird Counts, some Swifty talk, landfill birding, and how with experience, identification becomes recognition, just like finding a good friend in a crowded room. George also recounts the American Birding Association's Bird of the Year Reveal Party — welcome, year of the Burrowing Owl! — and more on owls, including vocal evidence to separate the burrowing owl into species and how owls decorate their nests. And a Steller’s Ja-- no wait, Eagle! continues to make dramatic appearances around the continent, spurring George and Al to recount their experiences with these massive eagles in Japan. Plus, we offer a few last-minute Christmas gift ideas, including gifts for kids who are interested in birding. Highlight bird species: A few accipiters and falcons; Steller's Sea Eagles; and of course, Burrowing Owls!Locations mentioned: Hokkaido, Japan; Philly; various Christmas Bird Count locationsDon’t miss out: on ABA's field guides to California and Pennsylvania Send your topic ideas to lifelistpodcast@gmail.comGet more Life list by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com. Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.

The guys start with chatting birding updates and well-documented views of beers among birders. Then they dive in: they’re at risk of overdoing their interest in gulls, but they just don’t care. One cool thing about gulls is that it’s often relatively easy to get great looks at them — the challenge is in learning from what you’re seeing! Needless to say, the pod is ready for gull season to kick off. And what else comes around with gull season? Christmas Bird Count season, of course! They also chat about national birds, ABA’s Bird of the Year unveiling, the mysterious Fuegian Snipe, and how Tierra del Fuego got its name. Highlight bird species: Common Raven; a variety of winter gulls, including Vaga Herring gulls; and the incredibly unique and mysterious Fuegian Snipe! Locations mentioned: Wrap up of the year’s Half Moon Bay, CA pelagics; Jersey ShoreDon’t miss out: on Alvaro’s workshops; check out the vast database of webinars on the Los Angeles Birders website; and ABA’s Bird of the Year Reveal Party Send your topic ideas to lifelistpodcast@gmail.comGet more Life list by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com. Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.

You're in for a great story this week! Alvaro gives us an update on his journey through hearing loss and regaining it through a cochlear implant. But before that, we chat about late fall birding, Elaenia IDs, and more about ear birding. Highlight bird species: Various Elaenias, including Small-billed and White-crestedLocations mentioned: Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, west coast pelagics Don’t miss out: on BirdabilitySend your topic ideas to lifelistpodcast@gmail.comGet more Life list by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com. Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.

This week, the guys talk George’s wedding and house search (Do you think they made an eBird checklist? The answer may surprise you!); the Naturally Adventurous podcast; Black Rails and their close relatives; how genetics and appearances can differ; Kirtland’s Warblers seen throughout fall migration, plus notes on their evolution; the Cape May Fall Festival; and chasing Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers.Highlight bird species: Black Rail and close relatives, Kirtland’s Warbler; Sulphur-bellied FlycatcherLocations mentioned: Western Kansas, the Jack Pine region of Michigan and beyond; Cape MayDon’t miss out: on the Naturally Adventurous podcast and Alvaro’s upcoming workshopsSend your topic ideas to lifelistpodcast@gmail.comGet more Life list by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com. Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.

Pelagic updates, how to prepare for a birding trip, and more. Join us! Get more Life list by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com. Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.

The guys catch up on Hurricane Ida and how an interest in natural history can lead to an interest in observing weather-related phenomenons before diving into the good stuff: updates from Alvaro's ongoing Spanish Adventure. Oh, and pelagics. There's always pelagics. Topics covered include: The worst flooding in nearly 150 years in parts of the eastern United States, how storms and flooding affect birds, lots of updates on birding and migration in Spain, and musing on travel during Covid.Highlight bird species: Honey buzzards, various raptors, storks, and more European migrants; Bridled and Sooty TernsLocations mentioned: Philadelphia, various locations in Spain, offshore in North CarolinaSend your topic ideas to lifelistpodcast@gmail.comGet more Life list by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com. Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.

Do you know the state bird of Utah, and how it came to be? How old are the oldest hummingbirds on record? Which gulls are of the cherry-picking variety? Get answers to these questions and so much more in this episode of Life List.  Topics covered include: Seasonal changes in birding; American Ornithological Society (AOS) updates, including a focus on genomics and inverted genes;  why the western raptor that George spotted in New Jersey didn’t make the rare bird alerts; record-breaking gull lifespans and old birds including (you guessed it) albatrosses and storm-petrels, with a shoutout to good ol’ opossums. Highlight bird species: Roseate Spoonbills; game birds for purchase; redpolls (how many redpoll species? you tell us); California Gulls; Laysan Albatross and other seabirds; shoutouts to elderly hummingbirds; moonwalking manakins. Locations mentioned: Niagara Falls, Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, the oceanLinks: American Ornithological Society (AOS)Send your topic ideas to lifelistpodcast@gmail.comGet more Life list by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com. Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.

In this episode, we chat about updates on cicadas and west-coast pelagics, Olympian-quality birds, the fear of owls (and fear of showing people owls), and more birdy stuff. Send us your questions for our next episode, where you can Ask Us Anything!Topics covered include: Cicadas and their affinity with prime numbers; bird and mammal reports from Farallon Islands pelagic trips; the underdogs of the Bird Olympics (we couldn’t resist); bird names for sports teams;  an introduction to bird and dog breed comparisons; oclophobia (which appears to be a fear of owls); and hey, you guys are really listening!Highlight bird species: Golden eagles and a full Olympian lineup, including a plethora of notable seabirds; Red Knots, with emphasis on Rufa Red Knots; Flammulated and other hard-to-find owls. Locations mentioned: Local spots around Alvaro in Half Moon Bay, CA, and George in Philadelphia, PA; Farallon Islands; and you know, here and there. Links: The Little Red Knot That CouldSend your topic ideas to lifelistpodcast@gmail.comGet more Life list by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com. Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.

George, Mollee and Alvaro chat together for the first time on Life List. Mollee introduces herself, and the amazing rooftop tent! Alvaro mentions his first June trip to the Farallon Islands, CA. George “cancels” on Subaru at the Philly flower show. But the main discussion is about the Aloha State. Mollee gives us her impression as a first-time birder to Hawaii. George impresses us with his fish knowledge. And we all discuss how Hawaii is amazing, and also a conservation emergency zone. Some native species have become quite rare in just a decade! Climate change is causing the “mosquito line” to move up in elevation, carrying avian malaria with it. We discuss GMO mosquitos and perhaps mosquito birth control through technology! Hawaii has its conservation success stories, especially when considering the native seabirds. Mollee also had her lifer pelagic in Hawaii. We chat about pelagics in Hawaii vs North Carolina, vs California. Shorts on a pelagic, vs freezing cold on a pelagic. And can you pull off the “Jaques Cousteau look?”Topics covered include: Pop-up tents, Philly flower show, Hawaii bird conservation, Hawaii sea birding, Mollee’s first pelagic, the Atlantic’s first Wedge-tailed Shearwater, and pelagic birding in general. Highlight bird species: I’iwi, ‘Akeke’e, ‘Akikiki, ʻAkiapōlāʻau, Chickens, Moas, Hawaiian Petrel, Bulwer’s Petrel, Wedge-tailed Shearwater, South Polar Skua, Black-capped Petrel, Newell’s Shearwater. Locations mentioned: West Virginia, Farallon Islands (CA), Big Island, Kauai, Hatteras pelagic birding Links: Farallon Islands and pelagics with AlvaroMosquito Birth ControlPacific Rim Conservation – Bird Conservation in HawaiiOikonos – Seabird Conservation in HawaiiAlvaro’s Hawaii tripsNorth Carolina pelagics with Brian Patteson Send your topic ideas to lifelistpodcast@gmail.comGet more Life list by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com. Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.

George and Al discuss their local birding endeavors, flightless birds, and Al is almost stumped on naming the two North American birds that undergo two full molts in a year. Hear a killer Virginia Rail/Three Stooges impression and the real reason we named our podcast Life List. Plus, are you a restauranteur? George is revealing his brilliant idea, for free, right here, just for you. Topics covered include: Volcanic effects on birds in the Caribbean, a population-versus-species mindset for conservation, a philosophical deep-dive on bird listing, and breakfast foods from around the worldHighlight bird species: Orange-crowned Warbler, Mangrove Cuckoos, various Antillean specialties, including the Puerto Rican Sharp-shinned HawkLocations mentioned: Various locations in the West IndiesLinks: The Peregrine FundGeorge’s webinar, Colombia’s Wild EastAlvaro’s upcoming workshopsSend your topic ideas to lifelistpodcast@gmail.comGet more Life list by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com. Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.