Hannah and Erik Go Birding

Birds and Wine

30 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Willamette Valley offers an incredible selection of vineyards to explore and wines to taste.  Hannah and Erik enjoyed an afternoon at Raptor Ridg...

Spring Chirp Birding Festival

16 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Have you heard about the Spring Chirp?  It's a boutique festival in the spring in the Rio Grande Valley!  Hannah and Erik had never been to a &...

Optics 101 with Land Sea and Sky

02 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Marcie from Land Sea and Sky joined us to give us the lowdown on optics.  Great information if you are in the market for some new equipment or just w...

Champions of the Flyway

19 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Israel offers incredible birding and the Champions of the Flyway is a fun, unique way to experience much of what southern Israel has to offer.  Hanna...

Birding Travel and Israel Day 1

05 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

You had travel questions - we answered.  Listen in for birding travel information and then our first day exploring Israel!Birding travel questions be...

Window Strikes with Dr. Daniel Klem

21 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Window strikes are a huge killer of migratory and resident birds - but there is something you can do to fix that.  Dr. Daniel Klem joined us to talk ...

Road trip to the San Diego Bird Fest

07 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik were excited to return to the San Diego Bird Fest for another year of biking and birding - but this time they decided to road trip it ...

"Dumb Birds" with Matt Kracht

24 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Kracht believes that birds are fascinating, wonderful....but also idiotic jerks.  He recently published his second book roasting some of our mos...

Flock to Marion Cruise

10 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Flock to Marion cruise was the culmination of our South Africa trip.  Tune in for more about the trip, what it's like to cruise around the S...

Mouse-free Marion Island

24 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Mouse-free Marion is an upcoming project to eradicate house mice from Marion Island, part of the Prince Edward Islands between South Africa and Antarc...

KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and Lesotho

10 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Seven days touring through South Africa reduced down to one hour and some change...phew!  Join us for our whirlwind trip through KwaZulu-Natal and Le...

Murchison Falls NP and African Bird Fair

27 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik finish out their time in Uganda with a last birding stop in Murchison Falls National Park and the African Bird Expo.  They saw a lot ...

Chimpanzees, Elephants, and a Papyrus Gonolek in Uganda

13 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik take you back to Uganda for a few more of the key spots and experiences they had.  We start off in Queen Elizabeth National Park, exp...

Shoebills, Gorillas, and Cisticolas in Uganda

30 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Buckle up for the first half of birding in Uganda!  We see Shoebills at Mbamba Swamp, hear warthogs rooting outside our tent at Lake Mburo National P...

Layover in Dubai, UAE

16 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On our way to Uganda to get started on the familiarization tour that was part of the African Bird Expo, we had a long layover in Dubai....so we took t...

Chasing Birds Through the Rio Grande Valley

02 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As always, we had an amazing time at the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival.  Finishing up our report with chasing vagrants, eating, Big Day-ing, and...

Subtropics and Rockets

18 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It sure feels good to get back to the Rio Grande Valley for the annual birding festival!  Friends, fun, food, and birds - what more could you want? ...

Storm Birding & Seawatching

04 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The winds a-howlin' and there's birds zipping past! Hannah and Erik give seawatching a concerted effort and improve their seawatching skills...

Disneyland-adjacent Birding

21 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik sneak in a little birding on a family Disneyland trip.  They visit a few nearby hotspots for some targets and even get a lifer in Dis...

Birder TikTok with Tom Myers

07 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Teacher Tom joins Hannah and Erik to discuss TikTok and what's that got to do with birds.  Also, listen in for this month's Bird Nerd Givea...

Southeast Arizona Birding Festival

23 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik had a great time exploring southeast Arizona during the monsoon season - lots to see and cool places to explore!  And they got to par...

Birdability

09 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Freya and Virginia tell Hannah and Erik all about Birdability, whose mission is to share the joys of birding with people who have disabilities, and to...

24-hours in Madera Canyon

26 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Madera Canyon, just outside of Green Valley, AZ, is a magical place with lots of amazing things to see.  Hannah and Erik discussed it in a previous e...

Hannah and the Great Puffin Adventure

12 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah goes on a solo adventure with the United States Fish & Wildlife Service Tufted Puffin Survey Team to survey for Tufted Puffins along the Or...

Protect the Night Sky

29 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. John Barentine from the International Dark-Sky Association joins us to talk about the importance of dark skies!  Limiting light pollution is impo...

Indiana Dunes Birding Festival

15 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

So, we gave you just a taste for Indiana birding in our first Indiana episode - so here's the rest!  More restaurants to visit, hotspots to bird...

Seymore Gulls and Secret Question ANSWERED

01 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Season 4 of Hannah and Erik Go Birding!  In this episode, we interview a friend whose upcoming book is a field guide with fun, interesting...

Finding Magic in the Windy City

17 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik find some unexpected surprises while birding in Chicago and learn a hard lesson about carefully reading signs!THANK YOU to Kristina Kn...

Birding the (Indiana) Dunes

03 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik prepare for the Indiana Dunes Birding Festival by first trying out the Indiana Dunes self-guided birding tour.  They see warblers, th...

99 Bird Species...and an Ovenbird ain't one!

20 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik visit a favorite region - the Rio Grande Valley.  There is so much to see and lots to do when visiting this incredible birding spot. ...

Upper Texas Coast and (a little) Beaumont

06 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We went on their yearly sojourn to the Upper Texas Coast to compete in the Great Texas Birding Classic.  This year we participated in the Human-Power...

Get Involved with Science

22 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Darlene Cavalier is a professor at Arizona State University and the founder of SciStarter, Science Cheerleaders, and cofound of ECAST.  She joins us ...

Black & Latinx Birder Scholarship Fund

08 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In less than a year, many people have come together to raise funds that support Black and Latinx birders/college students studying STEM fields.  Than...

Ariel Gaffney, "Bird Crime Fighter"

25 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ariel Gaffney is a forensic ornithologist with the US Fish & Wildlife Forensics Lab.  But what even is a forensic ornithologist?  Ariel, the new...

Looking for Long-eared Owls

11 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know that Long-eared Owls roost communally in the winter?  There has been a communal roost site at one of our local refuges, Ankeny National ...

Birding Minnesota: Sax-Zim Bog

25 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sax-Zim Bog is one of those legendary places we knew we'd have to go someday - below freezing temperatures and Great Gray Owls are the things mos...

What does Biden-Harris mean for the birds?

11 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On January 20, 2021, Joe Biden was inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States of America and Kamala Harris was inaugurated as the 49th vic...

Prep your yard for the Great Backyard Bird Count!

28 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Great Backyard Bird Count is coming up soon...is your backyard ready?  Ours isn't...but there's still time!Darlene from our local Backy...

Birding Lakes and Islands in the Sky

14 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

SE Arizona is full of incredible birding locations and we've saved our favorites for last!  Join us for more about Patagonia, Santa Rita, and mo...

Tucson Hotspots

31 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

There are a lot of great places to bird in Southeastern Arizona...but don't forget about the amazing places that are near Tucson!  Our trip was ...

SE Arizona and Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary

17 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik escape the cold of Oregon for the warmer temperatures of Tucson, Arizona.  First stop is the Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary in Cochise Cou...

Polar Owl, White Owl, Artic Owl...Snowy Owl

03 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Snowy Owls are a beautiful species and a special animal to see for birders and non-birders alike.  In 2013-2014 there was an irruptive year that taug...

The Quest for 300

19 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Birding is a great hobby/recreation to share with acquaintances, friends, family...anyone.  It can also be something fun to do together.  Coach Pack...

Tri-State Tour of Auto Tours

05 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik explored several different national wildlife refuges throughout the Pacific Northwest to see what their auto tours had to offer.  Eac...

Grouse and Glaciers in the Big Sky State

22 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In celebration of the Global Bird Weekend, Hannah and Erik head to Glacier National Park to tally up species in this iconic, picturesque landscape in ...

Sewage Wetlands, an Urban Oasis

08 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the Pacific Northwest, we often see a lot of shorebirds as vagrants in the fall.  We search for a recurring Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Fernhill Wet...

Why do bird die-offs happen?

24 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We periodically see news reports of "hundreds and thousands of dead birds falling from the sky"...but why does that happen?  Scott Carleton...

Adding Curriculum to Your Bird Walk

14 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

There's leaves crunching underfoot and fog in the air...that means school is just about in session!  However, in 2020 many students are returnin...

Introducing... The Birding Co-op

27 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik have spent the last few months working on a secret project with a handful of other young birders whose goals are to offer affordable t...

Virtual Southeast Arizona Birding Festival

13 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Due to extenuating circumstances, the Southeast Arizona Birding Festival was brought to the world virtually!  Hannah and Erik checked out several of ...

Seas of Shearwaters

30 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Awww the ocean.  Cool sea breezes, the sticky salt spray, and oodles of birds.  Hannah and Erik went on another pelagic - this time out of Westport,...

Adrian Hinkle, "Our eBird Reviewer"

16 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

So...we know we talk about eBird a lot, but after a recent chain of emails with our local reviewer we asked him if he would be willing to answer some ...

Malheur NWR and Secret Question

02 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sage Thrasher, Brewer's Sparrow, Least Flycatcher, and more had us heading to Central and Eastern Oregon and the fantastic birding spot that is M...

Equity in Birding with Tykee James

18 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From May 31st to June 5th, 2020, we celebrated the inaugural Black Birders Week.  It was a week-long online event celebrating Black nature enthusiast...

Get Involved with Spring Migration

07 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The worldwide spring migration of birds is a great time for to educate and inspire new birders, count migrating species, and come together to apprecia...

Timber: From Turtle Doves to Bird Habitat

23 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Hannah and Erik review a beautifully written and illustrated book sent to them about Turtle Dove migration and their recent adventure...

Champions of the Flyway Celebration

09 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Well, the Champions of the Flyway didn't end up exactly as we expected due to COVID-19.  INSTEAD Hannah's team, the Women in Steppe, decide...

Alison Young, "The City Nature Challenge Communicator"

26 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The first-ever Citizen Science Day was held in 2016 and the citizen science teams at Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and California Acade...

San Diego Bird Festival and MORE!

12 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ahhhh…SoCal. The sun, surf, beer, and parakeets?!  Hannah and Erik head back to Southern California for the San Diego Bird Festival where they bike...

The Puffin Protectors

27 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"I love puffins. They are small, round gothic birds, and their babies are called pufflings."~ Caitlin MoranTufted Puffins are whimsical bird...

Sarah Swanson, "Must-See Birds"

30 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Part field guide, part travel book, Must-See Birds of the Pacific Northwest is full of great information for birders, nature enthusiasts, and travele...

Birding in a Golden State of Mind

16 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Oh San Diego... the sun, the surf, the birds.  It's really a great break from the dreary, Pacific Northwest winter.  Hannah and Erik explore a ...

Defending the California Least Tern

02 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik join the San Diego Audubon Society's Dune Defenders to rid the landscape of a nasty plant, Puncturevine, in an effort to restore ...

Cowboy Pigeons, Christmas Bird Counts & More!

19 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's the end of 2019!  Hannah and Erik are here to tell you about Cowboy Pigeons, loss of bird life, and bird-friendly legislation.  Erik detai...

Women Who Guide

05 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik know a number of incredible guides, some of whom are women.  While at the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival, they met up with a few ...

Green Jays, Gray Hawks, and more at the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival

21 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Another year, another Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival in the books!  Hannah and Erik had an awesome time birding the RGV, seeing friends, and chas...

The Highs and Lows of Denmark

07 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Here it is, the much-anticipated final leg of Hannah and Erik’s Grand ScandinAVIAN Adventure!  In this episode, they get off the cruise ship and tr...

Cruisin', boozin', and birdin' on the Baltic Sea

24 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On the second leg of their Grand ScandinAVIAN Adventure, Hannah and Erik enjoy a leisurely cruise around the Baltic States and Scandinavia aboard the ...

Sweden and the Red-footed Falcon

10 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever thought about birding around Sweden?  On this first leg of the "Grand Scandinavian Adventure" (get it...avian?), Hannah and E...

Central Cali and a Pelagic

26 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik live out a birding dream by braving another pelagic birding trip... this time with famed Shearwater Journeys!  While in central Calif...

Birding Associations with Diana Byrne, "Oregon Birder-in-Chief"

12 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

With a multitude of different birding, environmental, conservation, etc. organizations vying for your hard earned cash, how do you decide which ones t...

Birds in the News and Migrating Shorebirds

29 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

There have been lots of weird news stories about birds lately - Hannah tells Erik a few of her favorites including stoner gulls, chunky crows, and men...

Heidi Trudell, "The Window Pain Preventer"

15 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Heidi Trudell, creator of Dead Birds for Science and Just Save Birds, picks up dead birds.  In this episode, she gets straight into the uncomfortable...

Search for the Marbled Murrelet

01 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik are on the search for the endangered Marbled Murrelet, a seabird that can be found in old growth forests!  They join a community scie...

Travis Koons, "The Condor Curator"

18 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik meet up with Travis, the Lead Avian Curator at the Oregon Zoo to talk about California Condors.  Travis along with the Oregon Zoo tea...

Tillamook County, OR: More Than Just Cheese

04 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever had a misconception about an area or region?  Hannah and Erik have birded Tillamook County several times, but just didn't really g...

On the Hunt for Mountain Quail

20 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik heard tale of Mountain Quail at Boneyard Ridge...so they went a-huntin'.  Did they find them?  Listen in to find out!  Also, S...

BONUS: Why Birds?

12 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik have been doing something kind of sneaky.  They've kept interview answers to themselves!  At the end of most the interviews, we...

Birds and Beers in Bend, Oregon

06 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik headed over to Central Oregon for high desert birding, to enjoy local beers and search for a few lifers.  They also discussed a contr...

Birding the High Seas

23 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik joined Oregon Pelagic Tours for a trip out to see Albatross, Petrels, and Shearwaters!  Listen in to learn more about pelagics, how t...

Big Day Competitions

11 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik head to Texas for a few Big Days!  Competitive birding is on the rise with a multitude of different types of competitions from 5-mile...

Interview with Nicole "The Bird Statistician"

25 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Hannah and Erik, had a chance to sit down at the Lucky Labrador Pub near Portland, OR with Nicole Michel to talk all about her life an...

Living Pura Vida in Costa Rica

11 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik went on Spring Break to Costa Rica....with a group of 30 high school students!  Their goal: turn those kids into birders.  Did they ...

BONUS: Birding Panel Discussion

04 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Want to learn more about getting kids and others involved in birding and the impact birding has on the world?  Look no further than this panel discus...

Backyard Birding and Wings Over Water Fest

28 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik attended the Wings Over Water Northwest Birding Festival in Blaine, Washington.  They rode a bus to Canada, bay cruise around Semiahm...

Wildlife Rehabilitation with Josh

14 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik headed to the Wildlife Center of the North Coast in Astoria, Oregon to interview its executive director, Joshua Saranpaa, about anythi...

Eagle Watch and Wingspan

28 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik traveled to Madras, Oregon to volunteer as eagle spotters at the Eagle Watch festival!  They discuss the event, their conversations w...

Birds Gettin' Busy

14 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik celebrate Valentine's Day by counting down 10 of our favorite ways birds court each other, so that they can make little birds.  ...

Greg Miller, the "Birding Philosopher"

31 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik have an insightful and enjoyable talk with birding legend...Greg Miller!  In 1998, Greg trekked the US to see how he could do in a Bi...

Coast Birding and Checklist Changes

17 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Hannah and Erik discuss their recent adventures to a couple Oregon State Parks, answer the first “Ask Hannah and Erik”, and discu...

Christmas Bird Counts

04 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik discuss Christmas Bird Counts!  This is the longest running citizen science; it's in its 119th year.  These counts can teach us...

BONUS: Ecuador Travel Tips

29 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Looking to go to Ecuador sometime soon?  Well, Hannah and Erik have a lot of tips for you!  They were joined by Hannah's sister, Lexi, who also...

Ecuador, Part 2!

20 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Hannah and Erik try to wrap up their trip to Ecuador in a (semi) timely fashion.  They take you east past Quito to the eastern slope...

Panama and Ecuador, Part 1

06 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik did some birding in Panama and Ecuador this time around.  They went to the Canopy Tower and checked out a few places around Quito and...

Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival, Part 2

22 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik just got back from the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival and had an amazing time!  They had a chance to sit down with some really gr...

Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival, Part 1

08 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah and Erik take on the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival in a two-part episode.  It's day one and they have just finished a field trip to ...

Bird Banding

25 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Hannah and Erik attend a bird banding session at Jekyll Island in Georgia, they go over the basics of bird banding and discuss their ...

Alachua Audubon and Group Birding

27 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Hannah and Erik birded around Lake Newnan near Gainesville in search of migrating warblers. Also, why you should join your local Audu...

South Florida and Field Guides

13 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Hannah and Erik birded around South Florida in search of some rarities, got chased by rains and storms, and talked about field guide ...

Orlando Wetlands Park and Weird Birding Spots

30 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Hannah and Erik visited the Orlando Wetlands Park to see what wastewater site is all about, listen to the sounds of nature, and discu...