115 Casual Birding - with Suzy

Look at Australian birds with new eyes. This episode is about the adventures of an English birdwatcher and podcaster, the power of the human connection and where to go birding in the UK.Suzy Buttress has loved watching birds ever since she was a child, likely inspired by hand-feeding pigeons in Trafalgar Square. Her passion for birds and the desire to share birding stories with others led to the creation of both The Casual Birder Podcast and her monthly virtual bird club. The connections made within the community that has built up around the show has created friendships and extended her appreciation of the birds around us.Links:* Suzy’s website - casualbirder.com* Suzy on Facebook - @CasualBirderPod* Suzy on Instagram - @casualbirderpodcast* Suzy on BlueSky - @casualbirderpod* Weekend Birder Google Map - weekendbirder.com/travel* Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo recording was by Marc Anderson and licensed from www.wildambience.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get to know birds of prey on a whole new level. This episode answers listener questions about things like bird parenting, food and morphs.Stephen Debus has been interested in birds, and especially raptors, since childhood. He’s had a long association with the University of New England (Armidale, NSW) as a research fellow and honorary research associate on various woodland birds. Stephen is also an ecological consultant, doing fauna surveys and assessments for government and industry. Since 2017 he has been working for NSW Local Land Services, surveying and monitoring the nests of threatened raptors on the NSW Northern Tablelands. Stephen has written numerous field guides on raptors and monographs on the eagles and falcons.Links:* Sign Birdlife’s SGARs poison petition - actforbirds.org/ratpoison* Raptors of Northern NSW on Facebook - www.facebook.com/groups/653339721737939/* BirdLife Australia Raptor Group - ausraptorgroup.org* Birds of prey recordings were recorded by Marc Anderson and licensed from www.wildambience.comStephen’s books:* Birds of Prey Australia - publish.csiro.au/book/7863* Australian Birds of Prey in Flight - publish.csiro.au/book/7792* Australian Falcons - publish.csiro.au/book/8058* Australasian Eagles and Eagle-like Birds - publish.csiro.au/book/7664 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Discover the joys of birdwatching with limited mobility. This episode is about two birders who make birding accessible, including for those in a wheelchair, and the wonderful nature discoveries they've made along the way.Ian Kitchen has always been interested in nature, ever since he was a boy in England. When he was little, he was allowed to borrow books from the adult section in the library because they had much more information on animals and insects than the children’s books. Ian, who now uses a wheelchair to get around, has spent his retirement documenting the diverse plant and animal life found in Churchill National Park. Together, he and his partner Julie Sims are encouraging others to join them as they traverse some of the park’s gentler tracks, looking for different flora and fauna.Links:* Ian and Julie on Facebook - @thegreenwheelers* Wheelchair Nature Scoot bookings - eventbrite.com.au/e/wheelchair-nature-scoot-tickets-824748674487* Walks Victoria website - victoriawalks.org.au* Weekend Birder Google Map - weekendbirder.com/travelWeekend Birder online:* Website - weekendbirder.com* Instagram - @weekend.birder* Facebook - @weekend.birder* YouTube - @WeekendBirder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn how to record video footage of birds. This episode is about a passionate ornithologist, conservationist and film-maker who has some great advice about creating bird videos.Scot works for Birdlife Australia and is the coordinator of the Lockyer-Toowoomba Birds on Farms Project. He is also the convenor of the Birdlife Darling Downs local branch and runs the social media channel Bird Bites. He has a BA in Anthropology, and a Grad Dip in Ornithology. He's been into birds for over 50 years, ever since he first saw a flock of Red-collared Lorikeets when he was five years old in Darwin. Scot has also done a lot of film making and is currently working on a three-part documentary about Australian birds.Links:* Scot’s website - birdbites.com.au* Scot on Facebook - @birdbites* Scot on Instagram - @birdbitesaus* Scot on YouTube - @birdbites* Scot’s video camera is a Pansonic HC-V180 - panasonic.com/mea/en/consumer/cameras-camcorders/camcorders/hc-v180.html* Scot also likes the Nikon Coolpix P1000 camera - nikon.com.au/digital-camera-coolpix-p-1100* Weekend Birder Google Map and other travel destinations - weekendbirder.com/travel* Paradise Riflebird recording is by Marc Anderson, licenced from wildambience.comWeekend Birder online:* Website - weekendbirder.com* Instagram - @weekend.birder* Facebook - @weekend.birder* YouTube - @WeekendBirder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try a different form of birdwatching. This episode is about slowing down to learn about local birds and a special place to go birding in Texas.Maggie Galbraith is an amateur naturalist who started focusing more on birds in her early 30s. Since then, she has been trying to educate herself as much as she can. Maggie loves photography. She also adores native bees and enjoys the challenge of macro photography.Links:* Maggie on Instagram - @maggies_lens* Weekend Birder Google Map - weekendbirder.com/travel* Australian Bird ID how-tos - weekendbirder.com/bird-id* Weekend Birder Hobart Meet-up 2025 - weekendbirder.com/meet-ups/hobart-2025* White-winged Fairywren recording is by Marc Anderson, licenced from wildambience.comWeekend Birder online:* Website - weekendbirder.com* Instagram - @weekend.birder* Facebook - @weekend.birder* YouTube - @WeekendBirder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try a different form of birdwatching. This episode is about slowing down to learn about local birds and a special place to go birding in Texas.Joan E. Strassmann loves to watch local, common birds as they live their lives. She is Rebstock Professor of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis where she teaches behavioral ecology and works hard to inspire students. The Slow Food movement inspired her to write ‘Slow Birding’ to encourage a thoughtful approach to observing life outside.Links:* Joan’s website - slowbirding.wordpress.com* Joan’s academic blog - sociobiology.wordpress.com/* Joan on Instagram - @joanstrassmann* Joan on Twitter/X - @JoanStrassmann* Merlin Bird ID - merlin.allaboutbirds.org* Weekend Birder Monthly Letter - weekendbirder.com/monthly-letter* Weekend Birder Hobart Meet-up 2025 - weekendbirder.com/meet-ups/hobart-2025Weekend Birder online:* Website - weekendbirder.com* Instagram - @weekend.birder* Facebook - @weekend.birder* YouTube - @WeekendBirder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adventure to Australia’s southern island. This episode is about the joy of being a birdwatching tour guide, the fun of pelagics and the wilds of Tasmania.Ramit Singal has been interested in natural history ever since he was a kid. He is passionate about citizen science and enabling people to observe and love nature. Ramit also works as a nature tour guide in Tasmania. This allows him to share his love of birds and animals, as well as the places they live in, with others.Links:* Hobart Meet-up 2025 - weekendbirder.com/meet-ups/hobart-2025* Ramit’s website - ramitsingal.com* Ramit’s entries on xeno-canto - xeno-canto.org/contributor/FPDBIILGCX* Ramit on Instagram - @ramitsingal* The Most Perfect Thing: Inside (and Outside) a Bird's Egg is a book by Tim Birkhead - nokomis.com.au/product/new-books/birds/perfect-thing-inside-outside-birds-egg/* Birding Pal - birdingpal.orgWeekend Birder online:* Website - weekendbirder.com* Instagram - @weekend.birder* Facebook - @weekend.birder* YouTube - @WeekendBirder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Discover how farmers are making a difference for birds. This episode is about Birdlife Australia's Birds on Farms project and the positive impact it is having on birds, habitats and the people involved.Shannon Creaney is an ecologist based in Victoria, Australia, specialising in the conservation of native birds and threatened species. As the coordinator of BirdLife Australia's Birds on Farms Victorian Monitoring Project, she works to help birds thrive in rural landscapes. When she's not immersed in her work, Shannon is an avid traveler, always seeking out new places and ecosystems to explore. With a deep commitment to advancing biodiversity conservation, she strives to inspire communities to connect with and care for their local wildlife.Links:* Birds on Farms website - birdlife.org.au/programs/birds-on-farms/* Shannon on Instagram - @shannon.creaney* BirdLife Australia on Facebook - @BirdlifeAustralia* BirdLife Australia on Instagram - @BirdlifeOz* BirdLife Australia on Twitter/X - @BirdlifeOz* Aboriginal Peoples and Birds in Australia by Philip Clarke - publish.csiro.au/book/8065/* Weekend Birder Swift Parrot t-shirt - weekendbirder.com/store/p/weekend-birder-swift-parrot-shirt-728hr* Recording of the Regent Honeyeater was by Ross Crates (XC661747) - xeno-canto.org/species/Anthochaera-phrygiaWeekend Birder online:* Website - weekendbirder.com* Instagram - @weekend.birder* Facebook - @weekend.birder* YouTube - @WeekendBirder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get advice about how to help children learn about the birds around them. This episode is about how anyone can become a birdwatcher.Jason Rodgers combines cartooning, musicianship, and performance to introduce kids to birdwatching. He's the illustrator/author of "Did You Spot It? Noticing Birds Around Australia", a colourful kids book enjoyed by many little birdwatchers. Jason loves spending time with family and friends, spotting amazing birds in the Toowoomba Region.Links:* Subcribe to the Monthly Letter - weekendbirder.com/monthly-letter* Jason’s website - didyouspotit.weebly.com* Jason on Facebook - @DidYouSpotIt* Jason on Instagram - @did_you_spot_it* The Big Year (film) - wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Year* Laughing Kookaburra recording by Marc Anderson licenced from wildambience.comWeekend Birder online:* Website - weekendbirder.com* Instagram - @weekend.birder* Facebook - @weekend.birder* YouTube - @WeekendBirder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Journey back to the 1800s to hear about the life of Elizabeth Gould. This cross-over episode is about illustrations of science, colonialism, feminism and the natural beauty of birds.Clare Presser, host of Paperback Perfumes podcast, loves storytelling and engaging her community. She merges literature and perfumery to evoke memories and new experiences. Each of her podcast episode unveils a new blend of scent and stories. Clare is also a nature-lover and fascinated by experiences that involve all of the senses.Links:* Paperback Perfumes website - paperbackperfumes.com* Paperback Perfumes on Instagram - @paperbackperfumes* Melissa Ashley’s website - melissaashley.com.au* The Bird Man’s wife on goodreads - goodreads.com/book/show/30634833-the-birdman-s-wife* Zoologist - zoologistperfumes.com* Liminus (Tasmania) - liminus.com.au* Darwin - Fueguia 1833 - parfumo.com/Perfumes/Fueguia_1833/darwin-perfumeWeekend Birder online:* Website - weekendbirder.com* Instagram - @weekend.birder* Facebook - @weekend.birder* YouTube - @WeekendBirder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.