Life List: A Birding Podcast

We're fans of fall, migration, learning about weather patterns, and trees. Today, we're catching up and geeking out about all of it. Plus, Mollee recaps her recent birding tour in Costa Rica, and Alvaro talks about finding a Townsend's Solitaire near his home in Ontario. -----Check out our upcoming toursBirds & Wine: Chile with Argentina: March 6-22, 2027 Costa Rica: A Birder’s Paradise:  March 7 - 15, 2027 Thailand: Apr 4 - 18, 2027Colorado Grouse: Apr 1 - Apr 11, 2027Texas Hill Country:  April 23 - 28, 2027Safari Brazil: The Pantanal: July 10 - 19, 2027-----Topics coveredWhat's missing from "bird weather" forecastsAlvaro's Townsend's Solitaire findVaried thrush migrationMolly's Caribbean-slope Costa Rica tour.Birding from different perspectives Old-growth treesFavorite trees in the United StatesPlanting trees for birdsLong-term planting decisions with a warming climate in mindGet more Life List by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com.  Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to. 

Kashi Davis, principal zoologist and conservation biologist with New Jersey DEP Fish and Wildlife, joins us to talk about the realities of managing endangered coastal birds in New Jersey. She breaks down what happened in the 2026 breeding season for piping plovers, least terns, American oystercatchers, black skimmers, and black rails, and explains how storms, habitat change, and human recreation shape so much of the work. We also discuss the public-facing side of conservation, from beach management plans and volunteer outreach to the challenge of asking beachgoers to share crowded shorelines with nesting birds. Along the way, the conversation gets into birding culture, funding, and why some species, like black rails, are so difficult to monitor.Get more Life List by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com.  Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to. 

Hey folks, first off, we're covering a heavy topic today as we reflect on safety in nature in light of recent news and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's role in taking a stance on it. Other topics we cover include: Why birding in Portugal is just gosh-darn funSteppe habitats of the worldHow the word "discovering" might be overused in new speciesPlus, check out our tours!Birds Georgia is collaborating with Hillstar Nature in IndiaAlvaro's Adventures has upcoming tours in India, birds and wine features, and soon a newly scheduled tour in Thailand See Mollee's most recent tour announcements on her websiteThanks for listening along as we chat about our lives...and our lists!Get more Life List by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com.  Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to. 

George and Alvaro catch up on current birding conditions, starting with an unusually warm West Coast pelagic season and the bird shifts that seem to be following it. They also swap stories about viral bird media, misidentification noise online, and a run of memorable wildlife encounters, from otters and beavers to coyotes and yard scat.Get more Life List by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com.  Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to. 

First things first: Listen to this entire episode by subscribing to our Life List Patreon! Here's a piece of our newest bonus content—just listen to the first minute of this podcast episode to hear about what you get.You can view Josh's upcoming tours here, and Mollee's upcoming tours here. Get more Life List by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com.  Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to. 

We're back with a perennial favorite episode: Digging into some of the most noteworthy changes in species with this year's AviList taxonomy update! Listen in to hear what's changing and get a preview of how your life list might grow as a result. Thanks, Marshall Iliff, for joining us once again for this episode!You can learn about AviList here and keep an eye on these taxonomic changes to become official online! Get more Life List by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com.  Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to. 

We're catching up on tales from the field as we return home between birding tours. Donate to #BirdersTogether to support Colombians in the aftermath of the recent earthquake:https://vaki.co/vaki/birders-togetherGet more Life List by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com.  Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to. 

We're excited to be joined by Douglas Tallamy, author of many bestsellers including Bringing Nature Home and Nature's Best Hope, and the founder of Homegrown National Park. We chat about why pollinators are important for birds, the components crucial to food webs, and tons of tips and advice on how you can make your backyard (or patio, or any outdoor space!) into a part of the Homegrown National Park. Learn more: Homegrown National Park Homegrown National Park's biodiversity mapDoug's booksMt. Cuba Center (as mentioned in the episode!)Get more Life List by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com.  Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to. 

George and Alvaro are catching up on their recent birding, and new things they've discovered along the way. We hope this inspires you to take a closer look (or listen) at common birds around you — even if you've already identified them!Get more Life List by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com.  Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to. 

As is the case with many beautiful things in this world, some of the biggest successes in conservation result from the toughest challenges that birds and wildlife face. Pulitzer-prize finalist Scott Weidensaul is with us today to share stories he's gathered from near and far to share a message of hope for conservation. Get more Life List by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com.  Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.