The Casual Birder Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Aren't birds brilliant? Alan Davies and Ruth Miller Jun 20, 2024

Show notes

Alan Davis and Ruth Miller are passionate birders.

In 2008 they gave up their jobs and sold everything to embark on an epic year-long quest to see and hear as many bird species as possible. After many adventures, on a journey taking them around the world, their final total was an amazing 4341 species, achieving a world record for the most species seen in one year.

They wrote about their adventures in their book The Biggest Twitch.

They now run a bird-watching tour company providing guided tours (with cake) in their home country of Wales and worldwide.

Ruth and Alan talk about sharing their love of birds with others, and how each would spend a fantasy birding day.

Recorded live at Global Birdfair 2023

Links:

Alan and Ruth's tour company: Birdwatchingtrips website

Global BirdFair information and tickets: Global BirdFair website

Your bird stories

Tell me about your bird stories - contact me on the casualbirder.com website

The Casual Birder Bird Club

The Casual Birder Bird Club is an online bird club that meets every month.
Sometimes we feature guest speakers, but most months a group of us get together to talk about the birds we've seen, share birding moments that have brought us joy, and ask questions or get help from the community.
If meeting up with a group of friendly people from around the world to talk about the birds you've seen sounds like something you'd like to do, you'd be very welcome to join us.
Sign up here: The Casual Birder Bird Club

Support the show

If you would like to help support the show's production, you can add to the show's tip jar by buying me a virtual coffee here

My thanks to Randy Braun for designing the artwork for the show and to The Drones for the theme music Short Sleeved Shirt. Check out their website at www.dronesmusic.net

Passion & innovation in bird feeder design - with Finches Friend #129 Jan 10, 2024

Show notes

Dick and Andrew Woods, who operate the family business behind Finches Friend bird feeders, prioritise the health of garden birds in the design of their products.

A passionate designer, Dick set out to revolutionise bird feeding practices by confronting the disease and contamination risks that exist wherever we feed our garden birds.

Not only do their feeders separate the food from contact with birds feet, they also encourage us to maintain good feeder hygiene by providing easy clean solutions through their innovative feeder design.

In this episode, Dick and Andrew, tell me about their latest product: the cleaner peanut feeder.

Timestamps & Links

00:00:00 Opening
00:01:14 Past Episode
- Past episode: #128 Casual Birding in Panama City
00:01:27 Introduction
00:03:34 Conversation with Dick and Andrew Woods from Finches Friend
- Past episode with Finches Friend #119 Food, Feet and Faeces: the key to keeping our garden birds healthy
- Get 5% off the price of any Finches Friend product - valid until the end of January 2024 Use the code CASBIR5PC Visit the Finches Friend website
00:30:49 The Casual Birder Bird Club
- The Casual Birder Bird Club is an online bird club that meets every month.
- Sometimes it features guest speakers, but most months a group of us get together to talk about the birds we've seen, share birding moments that have brought us joy, and ask questions or get help from the community.
- If meeting up with a group of friendly people from around the world to talk about the birds you've seen sounds like something you'd like to do, you'd be very welcome to join us. Sign up here: The Casual Birder Bird Club
00:31:29 Wrap and Close
- The Casual Birder Podcast https://casualbirder.com/
- Don't miss an episode - follow the show!
- Thanks to Randy Braun for designing the artwork for the show and to The Drones for the theme music Short Sleeved Shirt. Check out their website at www.dronesmusic.net

Casual birding in Panama City #128 Sep 20, 2023

Show notes

John and Suzy share their first experiences with the stunning birds of Panama City, and we hear from Edwin, their professional guide, who took them birding in the Metropolitan Nature Park.

Links

Past Episode

Past episode: Slow birding with Bridget Butler

Support the show

The Casual Birder Podcast https://casualbirder.com/

Thanks to Randy Braun for designing the artwork for the show.

The theme music is Short Sleeved Shirt by The Drones. Thanks to them for letting me use it. Check out their website at www.dronesmusic.net

Slow birding: the practice of mindful observation with Bridget Butler #127 Sep 05, 2023

Show notes

Bridget Butler, also known as the Bird Diva, did not originally have a passion for birds. But seeing an Indigo Bunting one morning sparked her birding interest.

Finding support and encouragement in the Vermont birding community Bridget developed an interest in slow birding.

Bridget encourages the observation of birds as a holistic, mindful practice rather than a race to spot the most species.

She now teaches the practice of slow birding, encouraging others to embrace a slower, more contemplative approach.

Timestamps & Links:

00:00:00 Opening

00:01:12 Past Episode

Past episode: Beccy Speight and Patricia Zurita

00:01:59 Introduction

00:03:21 Conversation with Bridget Butler begins

Get 25% off the cost of the course with the code CASUALBIRDER25.

00:21:26 Promo for The Wilder Skies Podcast

00:22:01 More about Slow Birding

00:53:20 Keep in touch and support the show

00:54:03 Wrap and Close

The Casual Birder Podcast https://casualbirder.com/

Thanks to Randy Braun for designing the artwork for the show.

The theme music is Short Sleeved Shirt by The Drones. Thanks to them for letting me use it. Check out their website at www.dronesmusic.net

Collaborative leadership in conservation - Beccy Speight & Patricia Zurita #126 Aug 30, 2023

Show notes

Beccy Speight (Chief Executive of the RSPB) and Patricia Zurita (former CEO of BirdLife International and now Chief Strategy Officer of Conservation International) join Suzy to share their insight on changing perceptions and overcoming challenges as women in the conservation community.

And we hear how each would spend a fantasy birding day.

Recorded at Global Birdfair 2023

Timestamps & Links:

00:00:00 Opening

The October Big Day takes place this year on October 14th and The Casual Birder Podcast will again be entering a team.

We will also be supporting BirdLife International. Help us reach our fundraising target!

Just Giving link

00:01:12 Past Episode

Past episode: Focus on Birders: Chiara Talia

00:01:30 Introduction

00:02:32 Conversation with Beccy and Patricia begins

00:03:13 Patricia Zurita introduces BirdLife International and her path to joining the organisation.

00:05:26 Beccy Speight introduces the work of the RSPB and her background in conservation.

00:07:49 Beccy shares two birding memories that inspired her

00:09:00 Engaging with communities

00:09:40 Patricia shares the International perspective

00:11:48 Beccy speaks of the power of documentaries like Wild Isles to raise awareness

00:14:22 Overcoming Challenges and Changing Perceptions

00:17:06 The Importance of Collaboration and Diversity in Leadership

00:20:00 A fantasy birding day: where would you go, what you see?

00:20:15 Patricia - New Hummingbird species in Ecuador

00:20:45 Beccy - Shetland soundscapes

BirdLife International

RSPB

00:22:00 Suzy's Birding

00:22:02 In search of a Nightjar

00:25:31 Stone-Curlew

00:27:38 Mis-identifying a Common Tern

00:28:18 Support the Show

Contribute to the show's tip jar

00:28:46 Keep in touch

Tell me about your birding

The Casual Birder Bird Club - sign up

00:29:10 Wrap and Close

Thanks to Randy Braun for designing the artwork for the show.

The theme music is Short Sleeved Shirt by The Drones. Thanks to them for letting me use it. Check out their website at www.dronesmusic.net

The Casual Birder Podcast https://casualbirder.com/

Focus on Birders: Chiara Talia #125 Aug 08, 2023

Show notes

Chiara Talia's gorgeous photographs, along with her tips on how to improve at both birding and bird photography, make her Instagram account a must for everyone's feed.

In this episode, Chiara tells Suzy how a walk in the park, and a chance encounter with a European Robin, led to a passion for bird photography and a pathway to healing at a time when she was struggling with her mental health.

We also hear about her experiences using a floating bird hide in Slovenia, and her search for the Southern Cassowary in Australia.

Timestamps & Links

00:00:09 Opening

The Casual Birder Bird Club - sign up

00:01:09 Past Episode

Past episode: Mel Shepherd-Wells

00:01:25 Introduction

00:02:40 Interview with Chiara Talia begins

00:05:15 The moment that changed everything

00:07:06 European Robin and Chiara's pathway to healing

00:10:22 Learning about birds is fundamental to bird photography

00:14:02 Chiara's process for managing photo files

00:19:44 Canon Young Talent 2021 and increasing confidence

00:23:10 Floating Hide photography in Slovenia

00:29:35 Promo for The Wildlife Community Podcast

The Wildlife Community Podcast

00:30:25 Birding in Australia

00:41:22 How Chiara shares knowledge and joy via Instagram

00:46:02 Find Chiara online

Chiara on Instagram

Chiara's website

00:47:11 Suzy's Shout-outs

00:51:04 Your birding stories

Tell me about your birding

00:54:04 Support the Show

Buy me a virtual coffee on Ko-Fi.com

00:54:22 Wrap and Close

The Casual Birder Podcast https://casualbirder.com/

Don't miss an episode - follow the show!

Thanks to Randy Braun for designing the artwork for the show and to The Drones for the theme music Short Sleeved Shirt. Check out their website at www.dronesmusic.net

Focus on Birders: Mel Shepherd-Wells #124 Jul 28, 2023

Show notes

Long-time birder, Mel Shepherd-Wells, joins Suzy in a delightful chat about his birding adventures, and shares some top tips applicable to all birders.

Links:

The Casual Birder Bird Club - sign up

The UK Wildlife Podcast

Support the Show - Buy me a virtual coffee on Ko-Fi.com

The Casual Birder Podcast https://casualbirder.com/

Don't miss an episode - follow the show!

Thanks to Randy Braun for designing the artwork for the show and to The Drones for the theme music Short Sleeved Shirt. Check out their website at www.dronesmusic.net

Global Birdfair 2023 #123 Jul 24, 2023

Show notes

A mini episode about the wonderful time that was had at Global BirdFair 2023, where Suzy spent time with other wildlife podcasters, interviewed amazing guests and met people passionate about the natural world.

There is also news on what to expect in upcoming episodes of The Casual Birder Podcast.

Links

Links to wildlife podcasts mentioned

Planty Planty Zoo Zoo

The UK Wildlife Podcast

The Wild Community Podcast

Into the Wild Podcast

Wilder Skies Podcast

Hannah and Erik Go Birding

Trees a Crowd Podcast