Report on a newly discovered hybrid: Rose-breasted Grosbeak by Scarlet Tanager. Why feeding Mule Deer, Elk, Moose and other snow-bound Cervidae corn, hay and other summer forage can kill them. Results of the May 2022 Global Big Day in Arizona. Bird of the episode: California Gull. Birding hotspot: Dankworth Pond State Park near Safford. Friend of Wildlife organization: Arizona Heritage Fund. Calendar of bird-friendly events coming up in Arizona.
Feb 08, 2023•35 min•Season 2Ep. 79
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decision to continue exemption of pesticide-coated seeds from ban draws objections from many wildlife conservation organizations and other stakeholders. A report on why leaving dead trees and columnar cacti in place is important for many species of birds. A look at Eared Grebes, common in Arizona in winter but often overlooked by birders. Bird of the episode: Brown Pelican. Birding hotspot: Apache Wilderness in north central Arizona. Friend-of-wildlife organ...
Feb 01, 2023•37 min•Season 2Ep. 78
A report on Arizona Game and Fish Commission's new 10-year Conservation Strategy. Southwest Audubon's conservation and watershed protection priorities for the 2023 Arizona state legislative session. A report on a proposal by an Israeli company to build a massive desalination project in Mexico that would sell drinking water to Arizona. Bird of the episode: Broad-billed Hummingbird. Birding Hotspot, Pintail Lake in northeastern Arizona. Friend of wildlife organization: Arizona Conservation Corps. ...
Jan 25, 2023•35 min•Season 2Ep. 77
Federal Bureau of Land Management announces cattle grazing will be allowed to continue on grazing allotments in the San Pedro River basin. A number of conservation organizations have filed suit to force BLM to reconsider. Madera Canyon, one of Arizona's premier birding hotspots, was recently spotlighted in a Desert Leaf Magazine feature story. We'll read that article. Bird of the episode: Brown Creeper. Birding Hotspot: Petrified Forest National Park east of Flagstaff. Friend of Wildlife organiz...
Jan 18, 2023•39 min•Season 2Ep. 76
Update on Christmas Bird Count and other recent birder reports across Arizona from the American Birding Association. AZ Gov. Doug Ducey announcement of his most recent nomination to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission. A look at 'birding out Wickenburg Way. Bird of the episode: Clark's Grebe. Birding hotspot: Hummingbird Springs Wilderness in extreme western Maricopa County. Friend-of-wildlife organization: Friends of Cibola National Wildlife Refuge. Calendar of bird-friendly events coming up i...
Jan 10, 2023•31 min•Season 2Ep. 75
Western states scramble to avoid Colorado River's Lake Powell becoming a 'dead pool.' Greater Phoenix Area Aquatic Bird Survey coming January 21. Volunteer observers needed. A November birding field trip report by White Mountain Audubon. Bird of the episode: Chimney Swift. Birding hotspot: Kofa Wilderness in western Arizona. Friend of wildlife organization: Southern Arizona Forest Fund. Calendar of bird-friendly events in January.
Jan 04, 2023•39 min•Season 2Ep. 74
Birds turning up in early Christmas Bird Count observations by top birders: an update. New federal legislation passed by Congress takes aim at conserving, restoring Great Salt Lake and other saline water bodies critical to migrating birds. A report on a study that supports other research indicating birdwatching is good for the brain. Bird of the week: Cassin's Vireo. Birding hotspot: Hell's Canyon Wilderness. Friend of wildlife organization: Friends of the Forest - Sedona. Calendar of bird frien...
Dec 28, 2022•38 min•Season 2Ep. 73
Results of the 2022 Greater Phoenix Area Aquatic Bird Count, and a call for volunteers to contribute to the 2023 survey coming January 21. An introduction to the often maligned Desert Mistletoe. Spoiler alert: it is NOT a weed. Bird of the week: Canyon Towhee. Birding Hotspot: Kendrick Mountain Wilderness in northern Arizona. Friend-of-wildlife organization: Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Area north of Douglas, Arizona. Calendar of bird-friendly events coming up across the state.
Dec 21, 2022•37 min•Season 2Ep. 72
A report on rare waterbird and shorebird sightings on Lake Pleasant and other lakes and ponds across Arizona. Exciting bird sightings at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds. Bald eagle nesting season is underway; tips from AZGFD on how to avoid disturbing nests and nestlings. A report on how Scott's Oriole got its name. Bird of the episode: Brewer's Sparrow. Birding hotspot: Roper Lake State Park near Safford, Arizona. Friend of wildlife organization: Animal Defense League of Arizona. Calendar of ...
Dec 14, 2022•31 min•Season 2Ep. 71
An update on shorebird surveys conducted recently across Arizona. Hybrids: what are they and how common are they in Arizona? Bird of the episode: Buff-breasted Flycatcher. Birding hotspot: Chevelon Canyon Wildlife Management Area. Friends of wildlife organization: Friends of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. Calendar of bird-friendly events coming up in Arizona.
Dec 07, 2022•31 min•Season 2Ep. 70
A review of Haikubox, a new bird ID audio capture tool that serves as a 24/7 wildlife cam for birders. Haikubox can be installed anywhere and monitored from a smartphone from anywhere. Bird of the episode: Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Birding hotspot: Arrastra Mountain Wilderness south of Kingman, Arizona. Friend of wildlife organization: University of Arizona. Calendar of bird-friendly events coming up in Arizona.
Nov 30, 2022•35 min•Season 2Ep. 69
Update from Arizona Fish and Game Department on recent eagle nesting surveys across the state. A report on virtual fencing technology showing promise for controlling ranging cattle in sensitive riparian habitats. A report on the American Robin in Arizona. Bird of the episode: Black-legged Kittiwake. Birding hotspot: Tucson Mountains IBA. Friend of wildlife organization: East Valley Wildlife Rehabilitation League, Mesa. Calendar of bird-friendly events coming up in Arizona.
Nov 23, 2022•40 min•Season 2Ep. 68
Southwest Audubon update on the Colorado River draw-down crisis and what is being done about it. Introduction to ornithologist and naturalist John Cassin for whom Cassin's Finch and other birds are named. Bird of the week: Bullock's Oriole. Birding hotspot: Mt. Lemmon in the Catalina Mountains southeast of Tucson. Friend of Wildlife organization: Friends of Brown Canyon Ranch near Sierra Vista, AZ. Calendar of bird-friendly events coming up across Arizona.
Nov 16, 2022•40 min•Season 2Ep. 67
Northern Arizona University students team up with Northern Arizona Audubon Society on a recent birding field trip, a collaboration showing great promise for advancing the ranks of professional naturalists in Arizona. A report on the recent western bluebird nest box season by NAAS. A report on the recent monsoon rain season in the central highlands from Prescott Creeks. Desert Foothills land trust call for volunteers to help with Discovery Day, an annual event for families, always well attended. ...
Nov 09, 2022•32 min•Season 2Ep. 66
Avian flu virus detected in dead pelicans at Phoenix Zoo. Deaths among wild birds including Canada Geese in the Phoenix area suggest the disease is widespread in Arizona. West Nile Virus has been killing crows across North America. Cornell's Lab of Ornithology has developed a vaccine proven effective but needs a means to administer it in the wild. Report on autumn birding at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds. Bird of the episode: Bronzed Cowbird. Birding hotspot: Coon Bluff in the Tonto National...
Nov 02, 2022•35 min•Season 2Ep. 65
Alert from Arizona Game and Fish Department regarding bird flu symptoms among wild birds that includes safety information for waterfowl hunters. Nina Mason Pulliam Audubon Center reopens following pandemic closure. Tips on how to keep pests away from hummingbird feeders. Bird of the episode: Brewer's Blackbird. Birding Hotspot: Yaki Point on the Grand Canyon south rim. Friend-of-wildlife-organization: U.S. Geological Survey field station at University of Arizona, Tucson. Calendar of bird friendl...
Oct 26, 2022•32 min•Season 2Ep. 64
Introduction to early American naturalist Thomas Say for whom Say's Phoebe, a well-known Arizona bird, is named. Bird of the episode: Black-throated Gray (or Grey) Warbler. Birding hotspot: Agua Fria National Monument in Central Arizona. Friend of Wildlife organization: Northern Arizona Forest Fund. Calendar of bird friendly events coming up in Arizona.
Oct 19, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 63
An introduction to Birdcast, a new free online tool that shows nocturnal bird migration in real time. Urgent alerts regarding closings of facilities at Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam due to drought conditions. Bird of the episode: Bridled Titmouse. Birding Hotspot: Mount Ord, 50 miles northeast of the Phoenix Metro. Friend of wildlife organization: Wild Arizona. Calendar of bird-friendly events coming up in Arizona.
Oct 12, 2022•34 min•Season 2Ep. 62
Southwest Audubon's Western Water News report on the effect of drought conditions on birds in the Colorado River watershed. How - and by whom - Anna's Hummingbird was named. Bird of the episode: Bonaparte's Gull. Birding hotspot: Patagonia Sonoita Creek TNC IBA. Friend of Wildlife organization: Friends of Canoa Heritage Foundation. Calendar of bird-friendly events coming up in Arizona.
Oct 05, 2022•34 min•Season 2Ep. 61
AZ Governor seeks applicants for opening on Arizona Game and Fish Commission. Birders welcome. Statutory eligibility requirements apply. New app Bird Migration Explorer tracks bird migration in remarkable detail. Bio of John Stevens Henslow, mentor to Charles Darwin and for whom Henslow's Sparrow is named. Bird of the episode: Ladder-backed Woodpecker. Birding hotspot: Lower San Pedro River IBA. Friend-of-Wildlife organization: Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists. Calendar of Bird Friendly event...
Sep 28, 2022•32 min•Season 2Ep. 60
More than 100 bird species are named for people. There is a growing movement to change those names to describe the birds, not the people, many of whom were slave holders, grave robbers and supremacists. But not all. Some were extraordinary, selfless naturalists to whom birders owe a huge debt of gratitude for their work. This episode includes my thoughts on the subject and some of their stories. Bird of the week: Black-necked Stilt. Birding hotspot: Borderlands/Cabeza Prieta IBA in southern Ariz...
Sep 21, 2022•36 min•Season 2Ep. 59
Invitation to view captive California Condor release at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in northern Arizona. Report on recent hummingbird banding and species tracking by the Northern Arizona Audubon Society. Followup to a request by National Audubon Society to offer suggested name changes for Arizona bird species named for people. Bird of the Week: Lark Bunting, a regular sparrow in southern Arizona during the winter. Birding hotspot: Tucson Sky Islands Important Bird Area (IBA). Friend of Wi...
Sep 14, 2022•35 min•Season 2Ep. 58
Updates on the Southeast Arizona Bird Festival and the Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo survey underway in central Arizona. Watching for MacGillivray's Warbler in southern Arizona. Colorado River crisis in the Grand Canyon National Park. Bird-of-the-episode: California Condor. Birding hotspot: Upper Santa Cruz River IBA. Friend-of-Wildlife organization: Yuma Conservation Garden. Calendar of bird-friendly events coming up in Arizona.
Sep 07, 2022•36 min•Season 2Ep. 57
Breeding behavior of the elusive Rose-throated Becard along the Santa Cruz River. Bird of the episode: Black-tailed Gnatcatcher. Arizona birding hotspot: Sonoita Creek/Patagonia Lake IBA. Friend of Wildlife organization: Sonoran Desert Museum near Tucson. Calendar of bird-friendly events coming up in the weeks ahead.
Aug 31, 2022•35 min•Season 2Ep. 56
Magnificent Frigatebird and other rare species spotted in Pinal County in July. New bird banding program underway at Hassayampa Nature Preserve near Wickenburg. Rufous-backed Robins found to be nesting in southern Arizona. Bird-of-the-week: Black-crowned Night Heron. Birding Hotspot: San Pedro Riparian Natural Conservation Area. Friend-of-wildlife organization: Arizona Native Plant Society. Calendar of bird-friendly events coming up in Arizona.
Aug 24, 2022•29 min•Season 2Ep. 55
Students in the veterinary program at Midwestern University, Glendale AZ, establish a new student chapter of the National Audubon Society, are seeking collaborations with Audubon Society chapters throughout Arizona. A solar electric generation project has been approved for state trust land at Salome Highway and Baseline Road, the legendary 'Thrasher Site' west of Phoenix. What does that mean for the rare thrasher species regularly spotted there? 'Monsoon hummingbirds' are on the wing. Find out w...
Aug 17, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 54
Third and final installment of a reading of 'Our Blinding, Blaring World' excerpted from an article by Ed Yong in the July/August 2022 edition of the Atlantic. Details how human technology affecting light and sound in Earth's atmosphere is confounding animal sensory systems. Bird of the week: Juniper Titmouse. Birding hotspot: Santa Rita Mountains IBA. Friend-of-Wildlife organization: Student Conservation Association. Calendar of bird-friendly events coming up in Arizona.
Aug 10, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 53
Second installment of a reading of 'Our Blinding, Blaring World' excerpted from an article by Ed Yong in the July/August 2022 edition of the Atlantic. Details how human technology affecting light and sound in Earth's atmosphere is confounding animal sensory systems. Bird of the week: Inca Dove. Birding hotspot: Tuzigoot National Monument IBA. Friend-of-Wildlife organization: American Conservation Experience. Calendar of bird-friendly events coming up in Arizona.
Aug 03, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 52
Part 1 of a 3-part reading of Pulitzer Prize awardee Ed Yong's Atlantic magazine article 'Our Blinding, Blaring World.' How artificial light and sound is confusing the senses of thousands, perhaps millions of non-human animal species including birds. Suggestions on how to locate professional job and internship opportunities in wildlife conservation in Arizona. Bird of the week: Hutton's Vireo. Birding Hotspot: Whitewater Draw IBA in Cochise County. Friend-of-wildlife organization: Arizona Sustai...
Jul 27, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 51
A look back at Biosphere 2, an experiment that attempted to replicate Earth's biosphere artificially by locking specimens of multiple species of animals and plants including humans inside a large chamber near Oracle, AZ in the 1990s. The experiment ultimately failed but much was learned. Bird of the week: American Redstart. Birding Hotspot: Patagonia Mountains IBA in southeastern Arizona. Friend-of-wildlife agency: Arizona Ecological Services Field Office. Calendar of bird friendly events coming...
Jul 20, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 50
