Hannah and Erik Go Birding
by Hannah Buschert and Erik Ostrander
Hannah and Erik love to spend their free time adventuring and birding. Join them as they discuss their most recent adventures and other birding topics. They are not experts but are always game to learn and experience new things. Connect with us on all the socials or send an email to: [email protected].
Episodes
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Hawaii by Water: SCUBA and Pelagic Birding
Our adventure to the Big Island of Hawaii continues above and below the water! SCUBA recertification was our main goal in going to Hawaii, and then a surprise pelagic birding trip was something we couldn't pass up. Listen in to our venture seeing birds on the ocean and fish underneath. Adventure...
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Honeycreepers and Volcanoes on the Big Island
Hawaii has a lot to offer, including endemic honeycreepers! We visited the Big Island for a SCUBA and birding trip with an impending hurricane in the forecast. Erik got to check off a bucket list item of seeing lava, we explored some native habitats, and enjoyed some amazing food. Adventure…
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Demystifying Bird Guiding with Peg Abbott
Naturalist Journeys is a company we've been excited about since we first heard of it, as it is woman-owned and operated and has a strong ethic of supporting conservation and the communities it visits. Peg Abbott launched Naturalist Journeys in 1998 and it has grown into a top tour company but has...
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Birding aboard the Alaska Sunrise
We were lucky to have not one, but TWO excursions aboard the Alaska Sunrise out of Garibaldi, Oregon, to look for seabirds and some incredible sights. First up was an all-women's pelagic trip and then the second half of the episode was about our nearshore trip to our local lighthouse. Adventure...
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Hiking at Mount Rainier
Alt. Title: Looking for White-tailed Ptarmigans On a rare day off from work, we ventured up to Mount Rainier National Park in Washington in hopes of finding our lifer White-Tailed Ptarmigan. We hiked the Skyline Trail which runs past Panorama, our best bet to see this uncommon species. After our...
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Pigeon Guillemots in the Salish Sea
The Salish Sea Guillemot Network is a collection of volunteers and scientists from non-profits, agencies, and more to monitor and learn more about Pigeon Guillemots in the Salish Sea. This indicator species helps these dedicated folks to understand about what is happening in this ecosystem. Maria...
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Klamath Marsh NWR and Savannah Bananas!
We had the chance to go see the Savannah Bananas play in Eugene, Oregon, which also gave us the opportunity to do a some birding in spots we hadn't explored before. Klamath Marshs National Wildlife Refuge and Crater Lake National Park were our main targets, but ended up finding a few other fun...
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Monitoring Oregon Vesper Sparrows
Dr. Sarah Rockwell from the Klamath Bird Observatory told us all about the Oregon Vesper Sparrow and the efforts to learn more about this imperiled species. This species may not look like much, but it is an indicator of the health of its habitat and along its migration route. Adventure begins at:...
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Texas Hill Country & Corpus Christi
We had an extra day while in South Texas for Spring Chirp, so on a whim we went to chase some birds! Up to the Texas Hill Country and then over to Corpus Christi to look for a couple of new species and check out other migrant hotspots. Adventure begins at: 7:30 Show notes Naturalist Journeys Go...
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What's the deal with Grasslands?
Surveys show that Americans don't really know about or appreciate our grasslands. Grasslands are some of our most overlooked, but they need our help and attention. Wenfei Tong from Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Maggie Hanna with Bird Conservancy of the Rockies tell us all about grasslands and...
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Spring in the RGV
Spring migration is a great time to visit the Rio Grande Valley. Warblers, vireos, orioles, and more move through the Gulf Coast on their way to breeding habitats further north. The Spring Chirp birding festival is the perfect opportunity to see migrating birds, eat good food, and enjoy the Rio...
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Spring Pelagic in Westport, WA
Pelagic boat trips are always an adventure. There is so much variability with weather, ocean conditions, and, of course, birds. We have never done a pelagic in the spring, so we thought we would give it a chance and chase after our most hoped-for bird, Parakeet Auklet. Adventure begins at: 13:30...
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Dinos and Birds with Dr. Steve Brusatte
Dr. Steve Brusatte is a palentologist, author, consultant, professor, and much more - he wears so many hats! But communicating science is at the center to all he does. He joined us to talk about his latest work, The Story of Birds, a fascinating book exploring the history of birds from their...
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Cranes, Ducks, and Tits - Izumi & Kagoshima
Our last adventure in Japan was to fly into the Kagoshima airport on the southern island of Kyushu and bird between there and Izumi. We were searching for wintering cranes at the Izumi Crane Observation Center, ducks and forest birds at the Kogawa dam, and then finished up our trip at the…
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Eagles and Owls in Hokkaido
Hokkaido has a lot of really neat birds and one-in-a-lifetime experiences. The Steller's Sea-Eagles and Blakiston's Fish-Owls what attracted us to go on the trip, but amazing places, good food, and other wildlife made it even better! Adventure begins at: 10:20 Show notes Naturalist Journeys Go...
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Sightseeing in Tokyo and Cranes in Hokkaido
In our first few days in Japan, we did a bit of sightseeing in Tokyo, including the Sensō-ji Temple and a few days in Tokyo Disney...just a tiny bit of birding there! We also chatted a bit about traveling around Tokyo and some tips for folks who haven't been there before. Then we headed to…
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Adventures around Morro Bay
Alt title: Elephant Seals, Wine Tasting, and Owls, oh my! On our day off from the Morro Bay Birding Festival, we decided to check out a few birding spots, like Atascadero Lake and Wolff Vineyard. We also searched for a couple of owls and then found some cool birds off-the-beaten path! Adventure...
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Conservation Ranching with Audubon California
Audubon California has a program that benefits both ranchers and birds! Swallow Creek Ranch is one of their partners. Hannah and Erik sat down with Kyla, Paul, and Nick from Swallow Creek Ranch and Grace from Audubon California to learn about this program! Adventure begins at: 14:50 Show notes...
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Morro Bay Birding Festival
We were happy to get back down to Morro Bay for another festival. Had a brief birding stop along the way and then on to the festival! Morro Rock and surrounding parks are such nice, easy birding spots with lots of species! Adventure begins at: 10:24 Show notes Spring Chirp Christina Baal, Drawing...
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Endemic Species in Cozumel
Cozumel, an island just off of Mexico, is a great, quick birding spot AND has three endemic bird species! We enjoyed finding these interesting birds amongst the hustle and bustle of a popular tourist destination. Adventure begins at: 11:55 Show notes Spring Chirp The Great Backyard Bird Count...
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One Day in Grand Cayman
While on a Caribbean cruise, we had a stop in Grand Cayman...so we went birding! Fortunately for us, Geddes with Silver Thatch Expeditions, was available to take us around. We added a few new birds, saw the sights, and even found Blue Iguanas! Adventure begins at: 10:00 Show notes Spring Chirp…
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Christmas Bird Count - Sunriver, Oregon
Christmas Bird Counts is the oldest community science program and has made a huge impact on what we know about birds and their populations! This year, we were able to join the Sunriver, Oregon count. Listen in to see what birds we spotted! Adventure begins at: 9:23 Show notes Morro Bay Birding...
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Jamaica Endemics in Ocho Rios
Our annual "company retreat" was a Caribbean cruise! So in this episode, we talk about going birding around Orlando and then a day-trip in Jamaica. Adventure begins at: 12:30 Show notes Morro Bay Birding Festival Spring Chirp New Jewel-babbler in New Guinea Chuys Christmas Bird Count Orlando...
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Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival 2025
The Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival is always a fun time! We went to a few new places, got a lifer, and enjoyed the valley specialty birds. Adventure begins at: 13:27 Show notes Morro Bay Birding Festival Spring Chirp "New 'remarkably tame' tinamou species discovered in Amazon mountains may...
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Kagus in New Caledonia
It's finally here - our episode about seeing the Kagus in New Caledonia. There is so much to see there including tons of amazing birds, unique plant life, and wonderful people. Add New Caledonia to your travel list! Adventure begins at: 16:50 Show notes Morro Bay Birding Festival Spring Chirp…
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Ouvea Parakeet Detour
Ouvea is part of the Loyalty Islands, just off the coast of New Caledonia. It's the only place in the world to see an Ouvea Parakeet and is a total off-the-beaten-path, once-in-a-lifetime birding spot. *Please be aware that we have a lot of travel logistics in this episode, because it took us…
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Layover in Fiji birding
On the way to our destination, New Caledonia, we had a 36-hour layover in Fiji. We know how to make the most of that! So, we explored the southern edge of the island from Nadi to Suva. Adventure begins at: 11:40 Show notes Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival Morro Bay Birding Festival Spring Chirp...
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Hawk Watch at Bonney Butte
Hawk watches are conducted along migration routes and collect important information on how these species are doing. Hannah and Erik visited the hawk watch at Bonney Butte in the Mount Hood National Forest to check it out! Hannah and Erik were given behind-the-scenes access to be able to share…
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Shearwaters in Washington Waters
We were supposed to have two pelagic trips... but ocean conditions caused one to be cancelled, and the other was delayed! At least we were able to get out on a Westport Pelagic trip before the end of the year - it's always a good time! Adventure begins at: 14:20 Show notes Rio Grande Valley…
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Birding Beyond Tucson
There are a lot of birding sites in and around Tucson. While guiding at the Southeast Arizona Birding Festival, we had the opportunity to check out some new spots and revisit some favorite locations. Adventure begins at: 11:20 Show notes Southeast Arizona Birding Festival Rio Grande Valley…
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Ticking Lifers in Tucson
We haven't done much birding in Arizona, so there is still a lot for us to go out and see! In this episode, we visit a few beloved locations, check out some new ones, and find a few new birds. Adventure begins at: 10:50 Show notes Southeast Arizona Birding Festival Rio Grande Valley Birding...
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Chasing Dusky Grouse in Washington
On our recent trip to Washington, we had two days to play with. So we decided to go search out a lifer: Dusky Grouse. Who knew we would find such a charming, interesting vacation destination, too! Winthrop and the Methow Valley has a lot of great cascades birds to see and things to do. Adventure...
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Urban Cooper's Hawks in Seattle
Since the 1980's, Cooper's Hawks have become a more regularly sighting in cities, including Seattle. Ed Deal, with the Urban Raptor Conservancy, has been studying them for years to find out more about these urban raptors. Adventure begins at: 9:55 Show notes Southeast Arizona Birding Festival Rio...
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Salish Sea Tufted Puffins
Tufted Puffins are such an iconic seabird that so many people want to see! A great way to see them up close is to take a bay cruise in the Salish Sea - you might even see an out-of-place Horned Puffin! Listen in to learn about puffins, Smith Island, and the Puget Sound. Adventure begins at: 10:53...
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Red Knot Survey with Washington Dept Fish & Wildlife
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has been running a Red Knot survey for the past 20 years. We tagged along with Shorebird Biologist, Allison, to learn about the survey in Willapa Bay and why this work is important. Adventure begins at: 12:45 Show notes Southeast Arizona Birding Festival...
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Briefly Birding Long Island
On our NYC-sampler trip, we had a little bit of time to bird on Long Island. There was so much to see, including a few lifers and interesting sites to explore. Adventure begins at: 10:00 Show notes Buy me a Coffee Southeast Arizona Birding Festival Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival SPI…
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Protecting Piping Plovers on Long Island
Audubon New York and Audubon Connecticut are partnering together to protect Piping Plovers along the shores of Long Island Sound. There are several techniques they employ to conserve these birds, including placing exclosures over their nests. We tagged along with Shelby, the Coastal Program...
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Finding Birds in The Big Apple
Alt title: Bird Migration in New York City New York City has a lot to offer - food, fun, sights...and birds! We birded around Manhattan and a bit into Brooklyn on our recent trip. Be warned: it's not all birds on this adventure, we had to explore some touristy sites of the city! Adventure begins...
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Spring Birding in the RGV
We talk about the Rio Grande Valley a lot - we know! But that is because it one of our favorite spots to go and every trip is different. This time we saw a lifer and tested out a new boat trip on the Rio Grande river while guiding at the Spring Chirp birding festival! Adventure begins at: 11:10...
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Birder Language with Rosemary Mosco
Rosemary Mosco is well-known for her educational, funny, and cute comics. Her new book, The Birding Dictionary, offers all that and more. Listen in as we talk comics, language, and birding. Interview begins at: 10:20 Show notes Buy me a Coffee Southeast Arizona Birding Festival Rio Grande Valley...
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Tala Game Reserve & Wakkerstroom
Alt title: I like big birds and I cannot lie. We were on the search for a few specific bird species while in eastern South Africa. They were mainly big (Blue Crane, Common Ostrich, bustards, Secretarybird, etc.), which lead us to staying at a couple of cool spots! Adventure begins at: 8:00 Show...
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Flock to Marion AGAIN! 2025
BirdLife South Africa hosted the Flock to Marion cruise in January to fundraise for the Mouse-Free Marion project, an effort to eradicate house mice from Marion Island that are attacking albatross chicks and threatening the species. This was our second time on this incredible cruise! We even saw...
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Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park is massive. With over two million hectares to explore, you could spend your whole life exploring it. However, we only had three days - but we lived it to the fullest! Main Story Begins at: 6:37 Show notes Buy me a Coffee Spring Chirp Kruger National Park Kruger Adventure…
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Birds and Non-Birds: Monarchs, Elephant Seals, and Urinals
We had a day off from the Morro Bay Birding Festival, so we decided to see what else the surrounding area has to offer. It did not disappoint! Elephant Seals to the north, Monarchs and the Madonna Inn to the south, and a whole bunch of wild landscapes to the east. Main Story Begins at: 6:20 Show...
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Morro Bay Birding Festival
The Morro Bay Birding Festival along the California Coast has been around for over 28 years! This year, we decided to see what the buzz is all about. Main Story Begins at: 10:37 Show notes Buy me a Coffee Spring Chirp Spark Bird Morro Rock Morro Bay Bird Festival Rose’s Bar and Grill Three Stacks...
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Sandia Crest Rosy-Finches
Hannah has always wanted to visit the famed Sandia Crest on the mountains overlooking Albuquerque, New Mexico for the chance to see three species of Rosy-Finch. Well, we finally had our chance! Listen in to see how we did. Main Story Begins at: 8:37 Show notes Buy me a Coffee Spring Chirp Sandia...
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More Birds, Less Mosquitoes
The Hawaiian Honeycreepers are facing extinction, and there are some great researchers and conservationists working hard to do something about that. We talked with a few of these folks to hear what they are doing to conserve these species and then went out to see what honeycreepers we could find....
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Kauai North Shore Hotspots
Kauai has a lot to offer: exciting birds, scenic views, good surf, and more! The island's north side has some excellent birding spots where we saw a few lifers. Thanks to Jen Kindell for sponsoring this month's Bird Nerd Giveaway! Main Story Begins at: 9:07 Show notes Buy me a Coffee Flock To...
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Kauai's Albatross with Hob Osterlund
Hannah and Erik met up with renowned albatross conservationist and advocate, Hob Osterlund, to learn all about Laysan Albatross and their status in Kauai. Main Story Begins at: 9:22 Show notes Buy me a Coffee Flock To Marion AGAIN International Conference for Women Birders Spring Chirp Shorebirds...
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2024 Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival
We've been to the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival for many years and each one is different! This time we were able to explore the Bahia Grande unit of Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge and see more of the Santa Margarita Ranch. No matter how much you explore the Rio Grande Valley, there...
About this show
Hannah and Erik love to spend their free time adventuring and birding. Join them as they discuss their most recent adventures and other birding topics. They are not experts but are always game to learn and experience new things. Connect with us on all the socials or send an email to: [email protected].
Hosted by
Hannah Buschert and Erik Ostrander