The Thing with Feathers: birds and hope with Courtney Ellis

Latest Episodes:

30: The Inept Birder on the Comedy that Brings Us Together (Karl Mechem) Aug 07, 2023

Show notes

Courtney chats with the man behind The Inept Birder, freelance writer Karl Mechem, on the gift of birding (even when we do it badly!).

Links from Karl's show:

Karl on Twitter

Karl's piece on being an Inept Birder (Audubon Society)

More of Karl's birdy writings

Free Birding & Ecology Resources

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Merlin Bird ID⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠E-Bird⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠iNaturalist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Seek⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Thing with Feathers is birds, birding, and hope with an obsessive newbie birder and a wide range of experts and special guests.

New episodes every Monday!

Follow Courtney:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Our music is by Del Belcher. The Thing with Feathers is hosted and produced by Courtney Ellis.

---
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/courtney-ellis02/message
Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

29: Patsy Clairmont on Bluebirds, Grief, and the Power of Words Jul 31, 2023

Show notes

Author of over twenty books, Patsy Clairmont is a lover of beauty, birds, and words. On today's episode, Patsy shares from her deep well of wisdom on where hope can be found, even in the throes of life's deepest griefs.

Links from Patsy's show:

Patsy's books

Patsy on Twitter

Patsy on Instagram

Free Birding & Ecology Resources

⁠⁠⁠⁠Merlin Bird ID⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠E-Bird⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠iNaturalist⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Seek⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Thing with Feathers is birds, birding, and hope with an obsessive newbie birder and a wide range of experts and special guests.

New episodes every Monday!

Follow Courtney:

⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠

Our music is by Del Belcher. The Thing with Feathers is hosted and produced by Courtney Ellis.

---
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/courtney-ellis02/message
Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

28: A Birdy Playlist from Music Journalist Aarik Danielsen for your Summer Road Trip Jul 24, 2023

Show notes

Aarik Danielsen is an essayist, poet, and pop-culture journalist in middle America. Join us for a journey through birds in songs, from Sheryl Crow to the Beatles Blackbird. BONUS: Check out the curated Spotify playlist Aarik made just for us!

Links from Aarik's show:

Birdsongs Spotify Playlist (or search "Birdsongs" and look for the list by Aarik)

Aarik's website

Aarik on Twitter

Aarik on Facebook

Free Birding & Ecology Resources

⁠⁠⁠⁠Merlin Bird ID⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠E-Bird⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠iNaturalist⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Seek⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Thing with Feathers is birds, birding, and hope with an obsessive newbie birder and a wide range of experts and special guests.

New episodes every Monday!

Follow Courtney:

Our music is by Del Belcher. The Thing with Feathers is hosted and produced by Courtney Ellis.

---
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/courtney-ellis02/message
Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

27: Jocelyn Anderson on Bird Photography, Hand-Feeding, and Sandhill Crane Adoptive Parents Jul 17, 2023

Show notes

Come learn from one of the most fabulous bird photographers out there - Jocelyn Anderson! From the woods and marshes of Michigan to perseverance in craft, we talk all things birds and hope.

Links from Jocelyn's show:

Free Birding & Ecology Resources

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Merlin Bird ID⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠E-Bird⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠iNaturalist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Seek⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Thing with Feathers is birds, birding, and hope with an obsessive newbie birder and a wide range of experts and special guests.

New episodes every Monday!

Follow Courtney:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Our music is by Del Belcher. The Thing with Feathers is hosted and produced by Courtney Ellis.

---
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/courtney-ellis02/message
Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

26: The Wisdom of Birds + Interfaith Conversations (Aaric Eisenstein, the Avian Rebbe) Jul 10, 2023

Show notes

Courtney talks to author Aaric Eisenstein about his books of birding wisdom, his Jewish faith, and finding hope through interfaith dialogue.

Links from Aaric's show:

Free Birding & Ecology Resources

The Thing with Feathers is birds, birding, and hope with an obsessive newbie birder and a wide range of experts and special guests.

New episodes every Monday!

Follow Courtney:

⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠

Our music is by Del Belcher. The Thing with Feathers is hosted and produced by Courtney Ellis.

---
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/courtney-ellis02/message
Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

25: The NYTimes Summer Birding Project (Elaine Chen & Jenna Curtis) Jul 03, 2023

Show notes

Let's count some birds! Join Jenna Curtis from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Elaine Chen from the New York Times to learn about this important project, how you can help, and what they hope to learn.

Links from this show:

NYTimes Summer Birding Project

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Merlin Bird ID⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠E-Bird⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Other great eco-resources:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠iNaturalist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Seek⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Thing with Feathers is birds, birding, and hope with an obsessive newbie birder and a wide range of experts and special guests.

New episodes every Monday!

Follow Courtney:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Our music is by Del Belcher. The Thing with Feathers is hosted and produced by Courtney Ellis.

---
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/courtney-ellis02/message
Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

24: Living More Gently on the Earth (Kyle Meyaard-Schaap, Author + VP of the Evangelical Environmental Network) Jun 26, 2023

Show notes

Courtney speaks with Kyle Meyaard-Schaap, an advocate for creation care who came to environmentalism through his faith. (Turns out it needn't be a partisan political issue! Who knew?) Learn where he's finding hope amidst some alarming climate news, small steps we can each take to live more gently on the earth, how to talk to friends and neighbors about stewardship, and the role of curiosity in tethering us to one another.

Links from Kyle's show:

Following Jesus in a Warming World

Kyle's Website

Free Birding & Ecology Resources

The Thing with Feathers is birds, birding, and hope with an obsessive newbie birder and a wide range of experts and special guests.

New episodes every Monday!

Follow Courtney:

⁠Twitter⁠

⁠Facebook⁠

Instagram

⁠Website⁠

Our music is by Del Belcher. The Thing with Feathers is hosted and produced by Courtney Ellis.

---
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/courtney-ellis02/message
Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

23: Rare Bird Alerts, Birding for a Living, and Yellow-Breasted Chats (Nate Swick, host of the ABA's American Birding Podcast) Jun 19, 2023

Show notes

Courtney speaks with Nate Swick, digital content manager for the American Birding Association. Hear what first got him into birding, making a living with birds, the birds of Colombia, and what's coming up for the ABA. Plus: have you ever seen a yellow-breasted chat?

Links from Nate's show:

Nate at the ABA

The American Birding Podcast

Nate's Books: Birding for the Curious and a Field Guide to Birds of North Carolina

The Yellow-Breasted Chat

Free Birding & Ecology Resources

The Thing with Feathers is birds, birding, and hope with an obsessive newbie birder and a wide range of experts and special guests.

New episodes every Monday!

Follow Courtney:

⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠

⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠

⁠Instagram⁠

⁠⁠Website⁠⁠

Our music is by Del Belcher. The Thing with Feathers is hosted and produced by Courtney Ellis.

---
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/courtney-ellis02/message
Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

22: The Allure of Birding, Being Kind on Twitter, and Birds of Michigan (author Traci Rhoades) Jun 12, 2023

Show notes

Courtney speaks with Traci Rhoads about her hope of finding middle ground with those who hold different viewpoints, her book Shaky Ground, and the joy of Michigan's cardinals.

Links from Traci's show

Shaky Ground

Not All Who Wander (Spiritually) Are Lost

Follow Traci:

Twitter

The Thing with Feathers is birds, birding, and hope with an obsessive newbie birder and a wide range of experts and special guests.

New episodes every Monday!

Follow Courtney:

Twitter

Website

Our music is by Del Belcher. The Thing with Feathers is hosted and produced by Courtney Ellis.

---

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/courtney-ellis02/message

---
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/courtney-ellis02/message
Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

21: The Story of Stella the Stellar's Jay + Finding Hope in the Wild Things (author + editor Paul J. Pastor) Jun 05, 2023

Show notes

Courtney talks to Portland-based acquisitions editor and author Paul Pastor, author of Bower Lodge: Poems and The Listening Day about surprising places to find hope, the importance of untamed spaces, and avian nature of hope.

Plus: the most charming Stellar's jay story you'll ever encounter.

Links from Paul's show:

Bower Lodge: Poems

The Listening Day

Free Birding & Ecology Resources

Follow Paul:

The Thing with Feathers is birds, birding, and hope with an obsessive newbie birder and a wide range of experts and special guests.

New episodes every Monday!

Follow Courtney:

Twitter

Facebook

Website

Many thanks to Emily Dickinson, for having such a lovely poem in the public domain. Our music is by Del Belcher. The Thing with Feathers is hosted and produced by Courtney Ellis.

---
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/courtney-ellis02/message
Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

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