Seattle Bird Podcast: Recent Episodes
Seattle Bird Podcast
A Seattle podcast for anyone interested in birding (even non-birders). Some episodes types include: Spotlight Bird: We feature one bird found in Seattle and give a variety of info about it. Interview: I interview a person connected to Seattle about birds. Bird Word: We quickly explain one vocabulary term. Midweek Update: Outdated eBird rare bird alerts in podcast form. Quiz Bowl of Delicious Seeds: We quiz each other on facts from old episodes of the Seattle Bird Podcast. more...coming soon!
Leo is the Narrator. Felix makes all the music.
Download Merlin Bird ID: https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/download/
SPACE 101.1 FM:
https://www.space101fm.org/program/spotlight-bird/
Audio Source Links: (see these links for more info on what kind of license they are used under)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grey_Squirrel_(Sciurus_carolinensis)_(W1CDR0001470_BD12).ogg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tamiasciurus_douglasii.ogg
SPACE link:
67.212.165.106:8239/stream
We discuss the little kings: golden-crowned and ruby-crowned kinglets! We do not discuss golden-crowned sifakas or their close relatives the silky sifakas. For more info on them, click below:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden-crowned_sifaka
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silky_sifaka
This is the last episode of Idiom Week. This week we cover the idiom "nest egg." If you want to know more about the episode, you should probably just listen to the podcast—it's only like a minute.
Thanks to Seattle Bird Podcast writer Brian for help on this episode, without him, trying to write this show would be a foolish and hopeless pursuit of something unattainable.
It's Idiom Week!
Follow these steps to calculate distances as the crow flies on Google Maps:
https://support.google.com/maps/answer/1628031?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop
This episode, the Bird Spotlight is on the Cedar Waxwing. This bird loves fruit! 🍎🍏🍒🍓🫐🍌🍇
See some awesome photos taken by our editor, Brian on our Insta: https://www.instagram.com/seattlebirdpodcast/
We had lots of sources this episode: All About Birds, Wikipedia, American Bird Conservancy, Audubon Society, Cosley Zoo, and What it’s Like to be a Bird by David Sibley.
Back with another episode of Quiz Bowl of Delicious Seeds!
Don't forget to subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3SUwZt9Jky4Yzr4lVP8DiA
This week, a long-awaited episode on the terms "New World" and "Old World."
Additionally, a parrot PSA!
Contact us at seattlebirdpod@gmail.com!
Use this link to access the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3SUwZt9Jky4Yzr4lVP8DiA.
This is very exciting news!! Episodes are only available live at https://bit.ly/space101fm so to hear the exclusive radio edits, tune in using that link at 12:00 PST on Wednesdays and Saturdays!
Episodes can be listened to after the air date if you email seattlebirdpod@gmail.com.
This episode of Quiz Bowl of Delicious Seeds was as fun to record as it is to listen to (knee-slapping outtakes notwithstanding).
HOW IS THIS BIRD SO LIGHT? oh hi there Seattle Bird Podcast listener, I was just ranting about this week's spotlight bird which weighs as much as a nickel!
Subscribe to the Seattle Bird Podcast because some new and exciting episode types are coming in the future and the podcast may end up going to some new and exciting places (ooh... ahh)!
Leo goes over the most sighted birds in the Seattle Christmas Bird Count! Lots of birdcalls in this episode, so be sure to play along at home.
Data sourced from Birds Connect Seattle newsletter: https://birdsconnectsea.org/get-involved/community-science/cbc/2023-cbc-results/
Learn about the evil plot from James Bond to disable satellites! 🛰️ ...or instead about the birds I guess?We cover all three kinds of Goldeneyes: Bufflehead (Buffaloheads), Circle Crack Common Goldeneyes, and Blob Blob Barrow's Goldeneyes.Thanks to William W. H. Gunn and Lucie R. Gunn for recording the birdcalls and to Cornell Lab for letting me use them ❤️.
Don't disappoint the Chickadee! Subscribe to the SBP.
Citations:
- https://www.npr.org/2015/09/03/434400838/warning-calls-decoded-squirrels-take-up-bird-alarms-to-foil-the-enemy
- https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/nuthatches-chickadees-communication-danger
- https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/look-out-the-backyard-bird-alarm-call-network/#
- https://www.audubon.org/news/a-beginners-guide-common-bird-sounds-and-what-they-mean
In this episode, we discuss warbling calls and warblers.
One bird that shares a family with the warblers is the Black-necklaced Scimitar Babbler, a bird found only in Taiwan.
This episode features Aix, not formerly known as Twitter, and crossovers with Minecraft and Bonnie Tyler.
Further Reading:
https://www.birdnote.org/listen/shows/just-what-are-flamingos
https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/580560951
Welcome back to Quiz Bowl of Delicious Seeds Episode 2.
This time, we gave the editor, Brian, a pop quiz about episodes 11–15. He specifically recommends episode 11 as one of his favorite episodes:
LISTEN HERE.
A host, an editor, and a musician walk into a studio...
You can play along at home. If you want to study first, listen back to episodes 1 through 10.
Leo is quizzed by Brian and Felix.
Learn about Cackling Geese in this Spotlight Bird Episode... but wait, there's more! This episode also covers how birders decide when a species should instead be split into two species. For more click here: Mallard Episode by Seattle Bird Podcast.Sources and Further Reading Allaboutbirds National Audubon Society That stackexchange thread American Ornithological Society super cute little goose
This is previously unreleased audio with from my interview with Kaeli Swift! Peek behind the curtain and hear 👂 more of our podcasting process in this episode.
As always, you should listen back to our original episode, on Spotify (preferred) here or wherever you get your podcasts here.
Music is by Felix.
Still itching for more mind-blowing bird facts? Listen back to our old episodes. Don't have 3 minutes to spare? Follow our instagram here for even more bite-sized bird info.
Visit our instagram here to see the weird-looking ducks.
The blog: periodic wanderings.
As always, music is by Felix.
This is the second episode in a series made from my interview with Ed Dominguez.
Music is by Felix.
Tiny Guillemot Chick's Death-Defying First Flight | BBC Earth
Learn what fledge means!
Our instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/seattlebirdpodcast/
I interviewed Ed Dominguez, the Lead Naturalist at Seward Park Audubon about owls and his work.
Definitely listen to the end to learn about old-growth forests — I certainly learned a lot!
Bird-safe Seattle week is coming up: https://tockify.com/birds.connect.sea/
Also make sure to check out our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seattlebirdpodcast/
Music is by Felix.
Marsh wren: king of the birds or egg vandal?
...or both?
Our king doing the splits: https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/marsh-wren
Important note: This is part 2 of an interview so we recommend to listen to part 1 first.
Kaeli Swift is @corvidresearch on major social media outlets.
To learn more about the important role Tinian played in WWII, click below:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tinian
This is part 1 of an interview I had with Kaeli Swift, a corvid researcher at the UW! Tune back in next week for part 2 about the Tinian Monarch. The audio quality does improve after the first few questions.
Kaeli Swift's blog: https://corvidresearch.blog/
Kaeli Swift's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corvidresearch/
Learn about the bird named after the term "halcyon" in this episode of the Seattle Bird Podcast.
Check out an image of the pied kingfisher here.
Seriously, you should check out the breeding adult crests. If that doesn't make you want to subscribe to this podcast and share this episode, I don't know what will!
Discovery Park:
- Clark’s Grebe
- Brown Pelican
- Chestnut-sided Warbler
Pacific Crest Trail:
- Red-naped x Red-breasted Sapsucker (hybrid)
- Black-backed Woodpecker
- Fox Sparrow
- Pine Grosbeak
Kent:
- Western Kingbird
- Lesser Goldfinch
Other places:
- Maury Island: Yellow-breasted Chat
- Juanita Beach: Horned Grebe
- Rutherford Slough: Gray Catbird
- Stevens Pass: Mountain Bluebird
- West Seattle: Lesser Goldfinch
- Carnation: Yellow-headed Blackbird
- Three Forks Park: American Redstart
This episode is an old favorite at SBP headquarters. In this episode, Leo gives PSAs to ducks. Below is a link to some images of Mallards:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mallard/photo-gallery
This episode is an old favorite at SBP headquarters. I had a delightful interview with Christian Hagenlocher. Among other numerous accomplishments, he is the author of Falcon Freeway: A Big Year of Birding on a Budget, his book about how he saw over 750 different bird species in only a year!
We will be back in 2 weeks with an exciting surprise.
Did you know the Washington state gem is petrified wood? Learn more below:
https://leg.wa.gov/Symbols/pages/default.aspx
Learn about a native predator of the European Wood Borer.
Picture of a Downy Woodpecker
Happy Mothers Day and welcome back to the Seattle Bird Podcast. This Spotlight Bird episode is on the Anna's Hummingbird.
Click here to learn more about how to tell apart grackle subspecies.
Click here for photos of grackles.
For help comparing Northern Shovelers to other birds, see All About Birds, or download Merlin. Here are some photos of Northern Shovelers:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Shoveler/photo-gallery
Q: What duck nests in trees and jumps 70 feet before it can fly?
A: This week's spotlight bird.
Click here for the DUCKumentary or here for images of Wood Ducks.
Whistle. Photos can be found here:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Wigeon/photo-gallery
In this episode, Leo gives PSAs to ducks. Remember to listen to all our previous episodes, especially the recent episode about Gadwalls. Below is a link to some images of Mallards:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mallard/photo-gallery
The Brown Creeper is a tiny bird that expends only 4 calories a day! Listen to hear more and click below see pictures of Brown Creepers:
- https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Brown_Creeper/photo-gallery
- brown creeper
You've probably seen a Gadwall even if you've never heard its name. Learn about this bird in this edition of the Seattle Bird Podcast.
Apologies for the late release. This week, we have another jam-packed episode for you, complete with facts about the Spotted Towhee.
Click here to learn about one species of Crake. If this doesn't make sense to you, you should listen to this episode of the Seattle Bird Podcast.
Why are juncos rarely seen near juncos? What do juncos have to do with pizza? We explore these question and more in our latest episode.
Leo and his writers investigated Pileated Woodpeckers and brought you the most interesting facts about them in what might be the longest Spotlight Bird episode yet!
In this bonus episode of the Seattle Bird Podcast, I got to talk to a birding legend. Among other accomplishments, he is the author of Falcon Freeway: A Big Year of Birding on a Budget, his book about how he saw over 750 different bird species in only a year!
Here is the link to the full story about how starlings were introduced:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-invasive-species-we-can-blame-on-shakespeare-95506437/
This SB (Spotlight Bird) episode is about the Northern Flicker, another bird whose pigmentation depends on what type of carotenoids it eats. Still confusing to you? Once you finish listening to this episode, for more on carotenoids, check out our episode last week on House Finches.
This beautiful photograph by Christian Hagenlocher of a Northern Flicker was taken at Union Bay Natural Area, a great place to go birding.
https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/236262771
We are pleased to announce that Christian Hagenlocher will appear on an episode soon!
In the podcast's longest episode so far, Leo illuminates House Finches, this week's Spotlight Bird (SB).
Sources:
- All About Birds
- Audubon
- What It's Like to Be a Bird
In this Spotlight Bird (SB) episode, Leo talks about the Killdeer.
Check out this video clip of a Killdeer (it is a long clip):
https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/483312
In this Midweek Update (MU), Leo focused in specifically on the Bohemian Waxwing. Research was by Brian and his sources were allaboutbirds.org and Wikipedia.
Rare Bird Alert
Remember to download Merlin by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology!
Sources:
- All About Birds
- The Bird Way by Jennifer Ackerman
- Birds of Seattle and Puget Sound by Chris Fisher
- What It's Like to be a Bird by David Allen Sibley
In this installment of the Spotlight Bird (SB) series, Leo talks about the Bewick's Wren. Including many bird calls from the Bewick's Wren, he explains how to identify a Bewick's Wren in the wild.
Happy new year! This week, Leo discussed these rare bird sightings:
- Western Tanager
- Yellow-Rumped Warbler (Myrtle’s X Audubon’s)
- Rusty Blackbird
- Townsend's Solitaire
- Black-Billed Magpie
- Acorn Woodpecker
- Great Egret
- Cinnamon Teal
- Whooper Swan
- Greater White-Fronted Goose (Tule)
Learn more about Greater White-Fronted Geese here.
King County Rare Bird Alert
This week, Leo and Denali illuminate the Steller's Jay. What does it look like? What is the etymology of its scientific name? And why does it have no seat on the security council? 2 out of 3 of these questions will be answered in this installment of Spotlight Bird (SB).
Corvid haiku by Denali:
They scream very loud
Excellent coordination
Ear-Shatteringly
Steller’s Jay haiku by Leo:
Black-blue bird on tree
Hidden behind pine needles
Squawks incessantly
Here are the rare birds discussed in this midweek rare bird update (MU):
- Cinnamon Teal
- Great Egret
- Bohemian Waxwing
- Townsend's Solitaire
- Northern Flicker (yellow-shafted)
Important Note:
Rare Bird Updates will only happen during Midweek Update (MU) episodes, not Spotlight Bird (SB) episodes.
Birds from the rare bird list:
- Black Phoebe
- Great Egret
- Western Tanager
- and the continuing Townsend's Solitaire
This bonus episode includes some highlights that Leo sighted during the Christmas Bird Count (CBC). Leo had an awesome time during the CBC and recommends that all listeners participate next year.
The allaboutbirds explainers:
- How to tell apart Ruby-Crowned Kinglets from Golden-Crowned Kinglets and Hutton's Vireos
- Photos of Cedar Waxwings
This episode, Leo and Denali tell you about one of their favorite birds species: American Robin.
If you have any suggestions for future bird spotlights or just questions or comments, please email seattlebirdpod@gmail.com.
If you're wondering why there wasn't a rare bird update, it is because all confirmed sightings on the eBird rare bird list are continuing (many sightings of Townsend's Solitaires near other confirmed sightings). Stay tuned for next Midweek Update when Leo will go over some birds he reported during the Christmas Bird Count.
These link to google maps locations where you can search for the rare bird:
Heerman's Gull
Townsend's Solitaire (new sighting)
Townsend's Solitaire (continuing)
Lesser Goldfinch
Black Phoebe
Acorn Woodpecker (Vashon Island)
Acorn Woodpecker (Covington)
Cinnamon Teal
eBird Rare Bird Alert
Next episode, my friend and co-host Denali will join us for a spotlight bird episode.
As always, our email is seattlebirdpod@gmail.com and you can email us comments, corrections, or whatever, really.
Townsend's Solitaire on allaboutbirds
It has been spotted at:
-
Discovery Park
-
Bryn Mawr-Skyway
-
Fauntleroy