Naturally Adventurous
by Ken Behrens & Charley Hesse
Charley Hesse and Ken Behrens have travelled all over the globe, and accumulated a lifetime worth of adventure stories, in pursuit of wild places and wild creatures. Both are lifelong birding and natural history fanatics, and professional guides. Charley was born in the UK, but has spent his life living in Japan, Ecuador, South Africa, and now Thailand. Ken was born in the US, and has lived in South Africa and Madagascar for the last decade plus. Contact Ken and Charley: [email protected] and [email protected] Galleries: https://www.ken-behrens.com/naturally-adventurous-podcast
Episodes
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S7E15: Ken in the Lesser Sundas - Part 3
Ken and Charley wrap up the mini-series about Ken's recent time in the Lesser Sundas islands of Indonesia. Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding: https://www.tropicalbirding.com/ If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page:...
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S7E14: Rediscovering the lost Samoan White-eye with Anton Lieberman
Charley interviews Anton Lieberman about his recent rediscovery of the lost Samoan White-eye. Read the Lost Birds article about this. https://searchforlostbirds.org/news/found-samoan-white-eye-relocated-in-the-highlands-of-savaii If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page:...
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S7E13: Ken in the Lesser Sundas - Part 2 - things get crazy
Ken continues to tell Charley about his recent time in the Lesser Sundas islands of Indonesia. This episode is where things get crazy with Ken in the middle of an event that made global headline news. Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding: https://www.tropicalbirding.com/…
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S7E12: Ten Things about Hawaii w/ Ken and Charley
Ken shares 10 interesting things about Hawai'i with Charley. Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding: https://www.tropicalbirding.com/ If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page:...
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S7E11: Ken in the Lesser Sundas (Part 1) - Komodo & Flores
Ken starts to tell Charley about his recent time in the Lesser Sundas islands of Indonesia. It was eventful, so this will be the first of three episodes in a mini series! Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding: https://www.tropicalbirding.com/ If you wish to support this...
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S7E10: Meet James Lowen, Editor of Neotropical Birding magazine
Charley interviews James Lowen, Editor of Neotropical Birding magazine and author of 17 books on natural history. To support the Neotropical Birding & Conservation, please visit: https://neotropicalbirdingandconservation.org/support-us/ If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our…
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S7E09: Ken's Sumatra TOP 5
Ken shares his top 5 wildlife sightings from his recent time in Sumatra. Field Guide Survey (mentioned at the beginning of the episode): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfPUkUYysybcda1Gd6QY2GgAf-Rt1Q50OoLU1P2EyrvybP3kA/viewform Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical…
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S7E08: Yorkshire bird walk with Charley
Charley takes us around his childhood local patch in Yorkshire at dusk to look for owls. . If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page:...
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S7E07: Ten Things about Amsterdam w/ Ken and Charley
Ken shares 10 interesting things about Amsterdam with Charley. Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding: https://www.tropicalbirding.com/ If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page:...
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S7E06: Green Hills of Pennsylvania - Virtual Walk with Ken
It's the second "virtual" walk of series 7. Ken takes us around Forbes State Forest in southwestern Pennsylvania, near where he currently lives. If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page:...
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S7E05: Treacherous (?) Mexican Borderlands with Liam Wolff
Ken chats with Liam Wolff about Liam's recent trip across the border into northeastern Mexico, and about Mexico in general. If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page:...
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S7E04: Berlin bird walk with Charley
It's the first bird walk of series 7. Charley takes us around a castle garden in Berlin. . If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page:...
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S7E03: Charley's Top 5 Mongolian mammals
It's the first Top 5 of series 7. Charley Top 5 mammals from his recent Mongolia trip. Check out the substack post. https://naturallyadventurouspodcast.substack.com/p/the-wild-side-of-mongolia?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=8dlkm8 If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our…
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S7E02: Eco-friendly farming in Germany, with Carl Hesse
Charley visits his relative Carl Hesse in Germany and learns about his ingenious form of eco-friendly farming. If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page:...
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S7E1: Ken's few days (or was it a month?!) in West Java
Ken and Charley chat about Ken's recent time in west Java, the heartland of massive Indonesia, and home to around 150 million people. It was a short but adventurous few days! Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding: https://www.tropicalbirding.com/ If you wish to support this...
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S6E50: Papuan bird families, BOPs, and Charley's 8000sp milestone
Charley tells Ken about his recent trip to PNG Also check out Charley's Video Trip Report: https://youtu.be/jzK0ct0AIJg?si=CUpCYgOzcVw_il7J If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page:...
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S6E49: Bangkok Bird Walk with Charley
Charley takes us on a walk around Benjakiti Park in Bangkok. Here's his Ebird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S328781442 If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page:...
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S6E48: Meet Wayne Klockner, Executive Director of the ABA
Ken interviews Wayne Klockner, Executive Director of the American Birding Association. If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page: https://patreon.com/naturallyadventurous?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_link...
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S6E47: 10 Interesting things about Mongolia
Charley tells Ken about his recent trip to Mongolia. Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding: https://www.tropicalbirding.com/ If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page:...
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S6E46: Charley's Top 5 Mammal Bird combos from Hokkaido
Charley gives his Top 5 mammal bird combos from his recent short trip to Hokkaido. Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding: https://www.tropicalbirding.com/ If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page:...
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S6E45: Ken in Romania - first time in the Eastern Bloc
Ken tells Charley about his recent short visit to Romania. Eastern bloc meets "Small Paris; a cemetary protected from Brown Bear by an electric fence; urban reserves full of shy birds. An eventful few days! Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding:...
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S6E44: Bird walk in Hokkaido with Charley
Charley records a bird walk at the Onnenai visitors centre. Here's the checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S343144434 Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding: https://www.tropicalbirding.com/ If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page:...
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S6E43: Ken's Iberian Lynx Quest
Ken tells Charley about trying to see one of the world's coolest cats, in Spain after his recent tours there. Check out this movie of the Little Bustard display: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUbg-wOsvZA Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding:...
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S6E42: 7 surprising things about Taiwan
Charley tells Ken 7 things he found surprising on his recent trip to Taiwan. Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding: https://www.tropicalbirding.com/ If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page:...
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S6E41: Segovia Spain bird walk with Ken
Ken does a field broadcast on a beautiful spring day in Castile and León, central Spain. Can he match Charley's total from his local patch in Chiang Mai, Thailand?! Here's the ebird checklist from the walk: https://ebird.org/checklist/S327570984 Please check out the website of our sponsor…
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S6E40: Moluccan Islands with Noam Shany
Ken chats with global traveller, conservationist, and consultant Noam Shany about the Moluccan Islands, a remote part of the Indonesian archipelago that holds over 100 endemic birds, but is rarely visited, aside from Halmahera. Oxapampa Antpitta recording coutresy of Ross Gallardy, XC413382....
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S6E39: Charley's Top 5 lodges in Asia
Charley gives Ken his Top 5 eco lodges in Asia. Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding: https://www.tropicalbirding.com/ If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page:...
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S6E38: Charley & Ken's Top 5 places they want to go but can't
Today Charley & Ken chat about places they would love to travel to but can't. Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding: https://www.tropicalbirding.com/ If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page:...
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S6E37: Ken in Western Panama
The final installment of our Panama series. Ken tells Charley about his western Panama adventure. How did Ken manage to miss all the brushfinches yet find all the quail-doves?! How was his climb up Panama's highest mountain? Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding:...
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S6E36: Central Peru with Jason Lewis (part 2)
Podcast listener Jason Lewis shares his epic birding adventures from Central Peru in the second of this 2 parter. Oxapampa Antpitta recording coutresy of Peter Boesman, XC223592. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/223592. License Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 Please check...
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S6E35: Ken in Eastern Panama
Is the Darien actually the dangerous borderland that most people make it out to be? Is it crazy to bring young kids on a Darien trek to visit the nest of a Harpy Eagle?! Ken tells Charley about his eastern Panama adventure. Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding:...
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S6E34: Central Peru with Jason Lewis
Podcast listener Jason Lewis shares his epic birding adventures from Central Peru in the first of this 2 parter. Cloud-Forest Screech-Owl recording courtesy of Ross Gallardy, XC296730. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/296730. License Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0…
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S6E33: Finland & Norway with Julian Hough
Regular guest Julian Hough tells Charley about his trip to Finland & Norway last year. Check out Julian's Substack page: https://birdingontheedge.substack.com/ Check out Julian's Youtube videos from his tours: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GfApNgJX6w&t=5s...
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S6E32: Charley's Japan Top 5 Birds
Charley gives his Top 5 bird sightings from his recent Japan in Winter tour. Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding: https://www.tropicalbirding.com/ If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page:...
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S6E31: Charley's local birding patch
Charley does a field broadcast from his local birding patch in Chiang Mai. Here's the ebird checklist from the walk: https://ebird.org/checklist/S298534053 Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding: https://www.tropicalbirding.com/ If you wish to support this podcast, please...
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S6E30: Ken's Six Weeks in Panama (part 1)
Ken gives Charley an overview of his recent long trip to Panama. Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding: https://www.tropicalbirding.com/ If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page:...
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S6E29: Bulgaria with Nick Bonomo
Charley chats with Nick Bonomo about independent migration birding in Bulgaria. check out Nick's blog https://www.shorebirder.com/ Hazel Grouse recording courtesy of Fredrik Grahn, XC1049385. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/1049385. License Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike…
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S6E28: Japanese Giant Salamanders with Richard Pearce
Charley chats with Richard Pearce about Japanese Giant Salamander conservation. Check out a YouTube video of Richard and the Salamanders https://youtu.be/OEWDx2EAJJs?si=6gzbbY3N7AUauw-e and his NPO website https://www.sustainabledaisen.org/en/home Ruddy Kingfisher recording courtesy of Peter...
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S6E27: Argentina with Andres Vasquez
Charley chats with regular guest Andres Vasquez about his recent trip to Argentina. Chaco Owl recording courtesy of Hans Matheve, XC965889. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/965889. License Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical...
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S6E26: Ken's weekend in Chiang Mai
Charley and Ken record another 'live from the field' episode, this time from Ken's short visit to Chiang Mai, Thailand last year. Spot-throated Babbler recording courtesy of Charley. Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding: https://www.tropicalbirding.com/ If you wish to...
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S6E25: Seeing the World's Bird Families
Charley chat with Keith Barnes about seeing the world's bird families. Ken's photo gallery of 140/150 of the world's bird families: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kbehrens/albums/72177720330473375 Gray-winged Trumpeter recording courtesy of Peter Boesman, XC271781. Accessible at...
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S6E24: Douglas McMeekin, a life of adventure in the Amazon
Ken talks with Douglas McMeekin, the founder of Yachana Foundation. Douglas has had a remarkable life, much of it spent in the Amazon, where he founded the Yachana Foundation, which uses for-profit ventures to fund its non-profit work in conservation and among local communities. Want to hear what...
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S6E23: Rail-Babbler & Hypocolius bite the dust.
Charley tells Ken about his latest 2 new bird families. Malaysian Rail-Babbler recording courtesy of Ding Li Yong, XC987719. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/987719. License Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding:...
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S6E22: State of the Pod and 2025 Wrap-Up
Charley and Ken talk about the state of the podcast, after delivering weekly episodes for over five years (!). They chat about the results of the survey from earlier in the year, and wrap up 2025. Ken's photo gallery of 140/150 of the world's bird families:...
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S6E21: Oman Top 6 Highlights with Charley & Ken
Ken tells Charley about the top 6 experiences of his recent trip to the Arabian Peninsula country of Oman. CORRECTION / CLARIFICATION: Regarding Silverbills, the country of Saudi Arabia also has both Indian and African Silverbills, and of course much of East Africa has two species, though the...
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S6E20: Rediscovering Lost Indian Birds with Harish Thangaraj
Charley talks with one of India's top birders, Harish Thangaraj, about some amazing rediscoveries he has made this year Jerdon's Courser recordings courtesy of P Jeganathan, XC294415. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/294415, and Harish Thangaraj, XC1038584. Accessible at…
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S6E19: New Britain with Charley & Ken
Charley tells Ken about his recent trip to the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea. Golden Masked-Owl recording courtesy of Charley Hesse. Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding: https://www.tropicalbirding.com/ If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our...
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S6E18: Myanmar with Charlie Harcourt
Ken chats with Charlie Harcourt about the country of Myanmar; it's biological and cultural riches, as well as its troubled history (and present). Charlie's organization for higher education access: https://www.myanmar-foundation.org Support for democracy and public assistance in Myanmar:...
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S6E17: Ken in Ecuador - Part 2
Ken tells Charley about the second half of his recent trip around northern Ecuador. It started with a wisdom tooth removal, but was all uphill from there! Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding: https://www.tropicalbirding.com/ If you wish to support this podcast, please…
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S6E16: Lebanon with Colin Conroy
Charley chats with Colin Conroy about birding in Lebanon. Syrian Serin recording courtesy of Barry Edmonston, XC721507. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/721507. License Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0. Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding:...
About this show
Charley Hesse and Ken Behrens have travelled all over the globe, and accumulated a lifetime worth of adventure stories, in pursuit of wild places and wild creatures. Both are lifelong birding and natural history fanatics, and professional guides. Charley was born in the UK, but has spent his life living in Japan, Ecuador, South Africa, and now Thailand. Ken was born in the US, and has lived in South Africa and Madagascar for the last decade plus. Contact Ken and Charley: [email protected] and [email protected] Galleries: https://www.ken-behrens.com/naturally-adventurous-podcast
Hosted by
Ken Behrens & Charley Hesse