Podcast

Back to Birding

Hobbies, Leisure, Nature, Science

Navigate the world of birding with your hosts Luke Thompson and Patrick Higgins!

Episodes
15
Releases
Monthly
Typical length
1 hr
On air since
2023
Latest episode
4 days ago

Episodes

15 episodes, newest first

  1. Fifty hours for one bird and Hooded Crow in Texas!

    Season 2, Episode 2

    Show notes

    Patrick and Luke talk about the past week of birding, from a first county record sparrow in Tennessee to Patrick's trip to Corpus Christi where he saw the continuing Hooded Crow!

    Reach out for anything at backtobirding@gmail.com

    Leave a review on whatever streaming platform you use!

    1 hr 9 min
  2. Back to Back to Birding! Luke and Patrick return to discuss life changes and county birds

    Season 2, Episode 1

    Show notes

    Luke and Patrick are back after a year and a half hiatus! We discuss what has happened in the past year and a half, and delve into the wild world of county birding in both of our areas.

    Reach out for anything at backtobirding@gmail.com

    Leave a review on whatever streaming platform you use!

    1 hr 5 min
  3. Peter Kaestner's Breathtaking Life of Birding (Shipwrecks? Cannibals?)

    Season 1, Episode 13

    Show notes

    Join Patrick and Luke as they fangirl over one of their childhood heroes, Peter Kaestner. Peter holds the world record for having seen the highest number of bird species in the world, with a grand total of over 10,000 (there's only about 11,000!). His birding adventures come with a truckload of unfathomable experiences and achievements, and his life is a testament to the awe-inspiring beauty and complexity of the natural world. Peter’s childlike wonder abounds, even late in life, as he still marvels over each species.

    Trophies are not the only thing setting Peter apart, rather, his relentless commitment to conservation, community, and education make him one of a kind. He has contributed to various research projects and conservation efforts, helping to monitor populations and advocate for the protection of endangered species (including the one he discovered!). His enthusiasm is contagious, his knowledge boundless, and his dedication unwavering.

    We can't wait to hear what you most enjoyed from this episode. It was an honor, to say the least, to have Peter join us. Thank you for listening!

    • Reach out for anything at backtobirding@gmail.com
    • Cundinamarca Antpitta - eBird
    • Peter Kaestner - eBird
    • Please leave a rating wherever you're streaming!

    1 hr 8 min
  4. David Hollie on the Lesser Antilles and its endemic birds, Part 2

    Season 1, Episode 12

    Show notes

    Join Luke and David as they dive deep into the wonders of Lesser Antillean birds and island life. This episode was recorded prior to the recent split of House Wren, and David provides some incredible insight into the reality of the House Wren "subspecies", as well as his opinions on other splits of Lesser Antillean endemics. David's invaluable photo and audio documentation of these island endemics have been leaned on heavily during the species revision process.

    This episode is a hair more fast-paced than usual, so buckle up and enjoy the ride!

    • Reach out for anything at backtobirding@gmail.com
    • Meet the Caribbean’s Six New Avian Endemics! – BirdsCaribbean
    • David Hollie - eBird
    • Trip Reports: eBird, Cloud Birders
    • Please leave a rating wherever you're streaming!

    50 min
  5. David Hollie on the Lesser Antilles and its endemic birds, Part 1

    Season 1, Episode 11

    Show notes

    David Hollie discusses endemic birds of the Lesser Antilles after his experiences targeting them in summer of 2o23. Enjoy! Photos by of David Hollie and Luke Thompson (Northern House Wren).

    Photo Gallery: Lesser Antilles with David Hollie, Part 1 Photos (Pixieset)

    Trip Reports: eBird, Cloud Birders

    Feel free to contact us at backtobirding@gmail.com!

    1 hr 3 min
  6. Using heavy metal to catch grouse!! UTAH Pt. 2

    Season 1, Episode 10

    Show notes

    Listen in as Patrick describes in detail the remainder of his trip to Utah; diving into the unique oddities of Greater Sage-Grouse research, the inquisitive tactics of Pinyon Jay research, and the extraordinary birds which can be found above tree line. Enjoy!

    • Reach out with anything at backtobirding@gmail.com
    • BACK TO BIRDING EPISODE 10 by Back to Birding (http://pixieset.com)
    • https://youtu.be/Sh5EOGeP540?si=jHFTjivPk-PPlxz1 Greater Sage-Grouse lek
    • Please leave a rating wherever you're streaming!

    54 min
  7. Emergency flight back from Panama?! And UTAH Pt. 1

    Season 1, Episode 9

    Show notes

    Join Patrick and Luke for a slightly unconventional episode as they discuss their most recent adventures... some more exhilarating than expected. The first half of the episode dives into Luke's unfortunate emergency flight home from guiding in Panama, and the second half covers the first few birds of Patrick's recent trip to Utah. Part 2 coming promptly. Enjoy!

    Reach out with anything at backtobirding@gmail.com

    Please leave a rating wherever you're streaming!

    58 min
  8. Ken Behrens from Naturally Adventurous on birds, travel, and life

    Season 1, Episode 8

    Show notes

    In this episode, Luke interviews Ken Behrens from Naturally Adventurous about birding and his experiences traveling the world. Ken is a Tropical Birding guide, Naturally Adventurous co-host, author of multiple books, and ecotourism consultant, among other things. His podcast and website are linked below.

    Naturally Adventurous: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/naturally-adventurous/id1525204132

    Ken's website:https://www.ken-behrens.com/

    As always, feel free to contact us at backtobirding@gmail.com.

    1 hr 1 min
  9. A trip to Maine and a trip to Texas!

    Season 1, Episode 7

    Show notes

    Patrick and Luke discuss birds from their recent travels. We apologize for the long hiatus from uploads, we've been busy with exam season. We should be back to our regularly scheduled program now.

    Bohemian Waxwing recording by Skyler Bol: https://xeno-canto.org/877076.

    Contact us at backtobirding@gmail.com

    1 hr 2 min
  10. Unforgettable birding during the COLDEST WEEK of winter!

    Season 1, Episode 6

    Show notes

    Contact us at backtobirding@gmail.com

    Photo gallery: BACK TO BIRDING EPISODE 6 by Back to Birding (http://pixieset.com)

    Luke's Panama tour: https://taralokafoundation.smugmug.com/Birding-in-Panama/n-DBbHWB

    Patrick's trip report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/197684

    Luke's trip report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/197354

    55 min
  11. Birding over winter break!

    Season 1, Episode 5

    Show notes

    Contact us at backtobirding@gmail.com

    Photo gallery: BACK TO BIRDING EPISODE 5 by Back to Birding (http://pixieset.com)

    Luke's Panama tour: https://taralokafoundation.smugmug.com/Birding-in-Panama/n-DBbHWB

    59 min
  12. Christmas Bird Count success! First county records, weird birds, and much more

    Season 1, Episode 4

    Show notes

    Patrick and Luke dive into their most recent birding outings, including amazing experiences with Christmas Bird Counts (CBC's) and their efforts casually birding.

    Contact us at backtobirding@gmail.com

    Photo gallery: BACK TO BIRDING EPISODE 4 by Back to Birding (http://pixieset.com)

    Luke's Panama tour: https://taralokafoundation.smugmug.com/Birding-in-Panama/n-DBbHWB

    48 min
  13. Sooty Tern from Spanish class? Birding at Baylor High School is amazing!

    Season 1, Episode 3

    Show notes

    Patrick and Luke discuss the wonder of birding at Baylor High School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, splits, lumps, and much more!

    Contact us at backtobirding@gmail.com

    Photo gallery: BACK TO BIRDING EPISODE 3 by Back to Birding (http://pixieset.com)

    Luke's Panama tour: https://taralokafoundation.smugmug.com/Birding-in-Panama/n-DBbHWB

    1 hr 3 min
  14. Tennessee's first Ancient Murrelet and birding hotspots in Chattanooga, Tennessee

    Season 1, Episode 2

    Show notes

    Patrick and Luke discuss recent birding (including Tennessee's first Ancient Murrelet and Luke's run down to Alabama), local birding hotspots, and more!

    Contact us at backtobirding@gmail.com

    Photo gallery: https://backtobirding.pixieset.com/backtobirdingepisode2/

    Luke's Panama tour: https://taralokafoundation.smugmug.com/Birding-in-Panama/n-DBbHWB

    1 hr
  15. Meet the Back to Birding hosts, Luke Thompson and Patrick Higgins

    Season 1, Episode 1

    Show notes

    Patrick and Luke introduce themselves and discuss why they bird, nemesis birds, favorite memories while birding, and more!

    Episode photo gallery: https://backtobirding.pixieset.com/backtobirdingepisode1/

    Luke's Panama tour: https://taralokafoundation.smugmug.com/Birding-in-Panama/n-DBbHWB

    Contact us at ldtbirds37@gmail.com or patrickhiggs04@gmail.com

    58 min