Podcast appearances and mentions of ben lizdas

Do you ever stop to consider the importance of connecting with nature and how it can benefit your physical and mental health? My friend Ben Lizdas, Business Development Manager for North America at Swarovski Optic, joined me in the BunkHaus to chat about his passion for birdwatching, hunting, and outdoor adventure. Together, we explore the impact of the industrial revolution on our connection to nature and discuss how a nature-based lifestyle can lead to a healthier, happier life.As technology advances, it's easy to get lost in the convenience of digital environments. Ben and I examine the temptation to give in to these digital distractions, while also pondering the potential consequences of turning away from nature. We talk about the unique experiences found in nature that cannot be replicated elsewhere, and how hunting can help us harmonize with our surroundings while providing sustenance. Additionally, we touch on the use of technology in birdwatching and share our preference for keeping the experience as analog as possible.Finally, we delve into the joy of phenology and the importance of building nature connections through hunting and fishing. From the Texas Christmas tradition of dove hunting to the awe-inspiring migration of birds, we discuss how these outdoor activities can help fill our "phenology calendar" and foster a deeper understanding of our natural world. Join us as we explore the wonders of nature together and reflect on the crucial role it plays in our physical and emotional well-being.Find Josh on Instagram or Twitter.Presented by:Spoke Hollow Outdoors - find them on Instagram or Facebook.For more great BunkHaus content, check out:BunkHausPodcast.com | Youtube | Instagram

Host Byron Pace gives a brief run-down of his projects from last year before getting into the first in a new series presented by Swarovski Optik: Living with Nature. Once a month you get to hear from a spectrum of guests from around the globe, from biologists to explorers, answering five questions on how they connect with nature. 1/How do you connect to nature on a regular basis? 2/Do you have a good example of how companies, people or organisations are helping to rebuild the bridge and connection between people and nature? 3/Is there a conservation story happening right now that you are particularly passionate about? 4/Is there someone who inspires you and/or is doing great work in the outdoors space? 5/Do you have a stand-out memory connecting with nature?  In association with Swarovski Optik Presented by Modern Hunstman More info www.byronpace.com Support the podcast on Patreon

Ben Lizdas is a familiar name in the global birding community. Having spent 16 years at Eagle Optics, nearly three years with Bird Watcher’s Digest/Redstart Birding, and now working with Swarovski Optik North America, Ben has a unique perspective on birds, birding optics, and the birding community. If you’ve been following Out There with the Birds since its inception, you may also know that Ben was the original co-host of this podcast alongside the late Bill Thompson, III. Ben reminisces with host Wendy Clark about his time at BWD, and all things birds and birding.

Expect big news in this episode of Out There with the Birds! Ben reflects on highlights from the New River Birding and Nature Festival in Fayetteville, West Virginia, an event that was near and dear to Bill Thompson, III. The area is the "Warbler Capital of the World" and one of the best hot spots on Earth for salamanders! Alvaro discusses the wonders of pelagic birding and provides preliminary results from the 2019 Global Big Day, a 24-hour event in which people around the world bird and report their sightings on eBird. Finally, changes are in store for Out There with the Birds: Ben introduces new co-host Raymond VanBuskirk, a birding superstar from New Mexico, an optics expert, co-owner of BRANT birding tours, and the new manager of Redstart Birding!

In part 2 of Ben's interview with BT3, published posthumously, Bill talks about his love of travel as a way of connecting with nature and people, as well as who some of his birding mentors were. Bill also talks about his love of music, what it means to him, and some of his more memorable birding adventures. Also hear Bill's thoughts on the evolution of birding and why he's hopeful about the next generation shaping the future of bird watching. We end with a recording of Bill singing one of his songs with his band, The Rain Crows.

This is part one of an exclusive two-part interview with Bill Thompson, III, long-time co-host of Out There With The Birds. On March 25th, Bill passed away at the age of 57 after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. Shortly before his passing, Ben took some time to interview Bill about his life as a birder, magazine editor, and musician. In the first episode, Bill talks about his early years as a birder and the beginnings of Bird Watcher's Digest, a magazine founded by his parents, Elsa and Bill Thompson, Jr. The conversation then moves on to Bill's time with a New York City ad agency and how he made his way back to Ohio to join the family business and develop his writing career.

Alvaro recounts tales from Japan, including fish eagles, fish owls, and talking toilets. Also, the guys discuss the Chilean/Argentinian divide, and geography's impact on both bird distribution and human culture. The topic turns to the true Zen nature of birding and how it may challenge some of your bird ID assumptions! All this and more in Episode 52 of Out There With The Birds!

Alvaro warns against getting creative when packing for a birding trip. Also, blue jays, green jays, brown jays, and gray jays are all part of the intriguing family of corvids. What makes these birds so inquisitive and social? Find out on Out There with the Birds!

Podcast Notes TBBP #7 In this episode The Bird Banter Podcast host Ed Pullen has Ben Lizdas, world renowned expert on birding optics, and a well known and avid birder as the guest.  Listeners should learn lots about optics and enjoy the bird banter. Find additional information at the Bird Banter Website http://birdbanter.com Find Ed Pullen @dredpullen on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter Find Ben Lizdas @RedstartBirding or @ben.lizdas on Facebook or at the Redstart Birding website https://redstartbirding.com/ Birding Festivals mentioned on today’s episode: San Diego Bird Festival https://www.sandiegoaudubon.org/events/bird-festival Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival https://scbwf.org/ Rio Grand Bird Festival https://www.rgvbf.org/ Katchemac Bay Shorebird Festival, Homer, Alaska http://kachemakshorebird.org/ New River Birding and Nature Festival, Fayetteville County, West Virginia  https://www.birding-wv.com/ Champions of the Flyway Festival in Israel  http://www.champions-of-the-flyway.com/      

Ben and Alvaro discuss bird behavior in winter and how big birds, little birds, and vagrant birds cope with temperature extremes. Some birds fly away from the weather while others become zombie birds, preying on their fellow feathered friends! It's looking like spring in Southern California while Alvaro braces for more winter as he discusses an upcoming birding tour in Japan. Grab your chopsticks and get ready to dig into episode 50 of Out There With the Birds!

Episode 49 is a special two-part episode of OTWTB. Bill and Ben have a heartfelt discussion about why 2019 is going to be a different kind of year for the podcast, and why it will be the "Year of the Big Sit" for Bill. Ben then welcomes Alvaro Jaramillo to the show, and we learn a bit more about this international man of mystery. Their conversation topics include the shifting nature of birding tourism and why you don't want to play chess in Antarctica. Hint: It's too cold!

Ben gives LeBron-like advice for buying binoculars for kids or beginning birders, explains the visual difference between roof- and Porro-prism binoculars, and updates us on his last backyard bird sighting: a red-breasted nuthatch. Bill talks about a rusty blackbird encounter and how to tell rusties from common grackles. Then the boys welcome Clay Taylor from Swarovski Optik to talk about his amazing backyard in Corpus Christi, Texas, which has become a magnet for birds and butterflies migrating along the Gulf Coast.

Favorite holiday gifts given and received is a major topic of this episode and among those gifts mentioned are a hockey stick, a mink coat, ten-speed bikes, and a vintage saucepan. Ben's nightmare Christmas Bird Count experience and Bill's Disney World surprise stories take center stage. Also mentioned are a conspiracy theory about wild birds, a new app that's like Shazam for bird sounds, an update on Ben's hot feeder action, and plans to handicap the results of the OTWTB Global Big Year Challenge™.

Back to the North from points farther south, the fellows chat throughout a winter-themed episode about such topics as suet feeding, birding in Texas and Colombia, weather and birds, winter clothing, acclimatization, fogging optics, and Ben's new-found love of silk long johns. Bill recounts a traumatic first grade incident involving yellow snow, and his latest musical recommendation is "Sanctify" by St. Paul and the Broken Bones.

With the guys poised to head off to far-flung birding destinations, Ben asks Bill for advice on his backyard bird feeding efforts. Bill, who is the Guy Fieri of Bird Feeding, dishes the knowledge on mixed seed, suet, peanuts, and the best foods for feeding birds. They discuss the never-ending battle with feeder marauding squirrels. Ben also asks Bill if he's ever eaten squirrel. Bill's latest musical recommendation: Brandi Carlile's new album "By the Way, I Forgive You," featuring the amazing (and totally timely) song "The Joke."

The boys connected via the Interweb to chat about the importance of bird clubs, favorite Feasts of Birdin' (eateries) near birding hotspots, the upcoming (potential) winter finch invasion, and Ben's latest life bird (and head cold). Bill shares his newest musical recommendation: the band Phox, from Madison, Wisconsin.

The birding dudes cover a smorgasbord of topics here, including a recap of the recent American Birding Expo, birding during migration, upcoming festivals, The Big Sit™, and tips for your optics upgrade. They also celebrate, in the briefest possible way, Ben's birthday. This episode was recorded in two parts, one via Skype between Wisconsin and Ohio and one in person, live, in Cape May, New Jersey, during the Cape May Reader Rendezvous.

Ben and Bill share a baker's dozen tips for enhancing your birding enjoyment, including where and when to go, what to wear, eat, carry, think, hear, and do, and lots more. If you're willing to take advice from these two guys, then you deserve all the joy that birding can bring you. They also extend an invitation to listeners to join them on a birding safari to South Africa.

The likely lads are on the loose at the world-famous British Birdwatching Fair, where they're seeing old friends, quaffing a few pints, promoting the American Birding Expo, Bird Watcher's Digest, and helping to translate between American English and English English. They talk about the beauty and conservation of vultures and flamingos, new birds they've added to the Global Big Year Challenge™, and the long shadow cast by the BBC TV show from the 1950s "Bill and Ben: The Flowerpot Men." All this is discussed while sitting in a giant beer tent in the middle of a sheep pasture. Please note: This was BEFORE they had a beer.

The American Birding Expo is returning to the Philadelphia area once more next month. Running from 21-23 September, it is billed as “the world of birding in one place” and with exhibitors from 6 continents that is a pretty fair description. Expo-runners, Bill Thompson III and Ben Lizdas join me to talk about the Expo and what birders can expect in the way of exhibitors, workshops and keynoters. In addition to running the Expo, Bill is the editor of BirdWatcher’s Digest, and Ben runs the new optics retailer Redstart Birding. They are also the co-hosts of the podcast “Out There With the Birds", and we cover it all from the Global Big Year Challenge (tm) to the joys of matching people with the perfect pair of binoculars.  Plus, the feral cat problem and a bright spot thanks to our friends at the American Bird Conservancy.  Thanks to episode sponsor, the Partnership for International Birding, combining 200 scheduled tours to destinations around the world with unmatched support for local bird conservation. You can help us out by participating on our listener demographic survey here. Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Play, and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!

Summer activities--both recent and upcoming--are the focus of this episode's discussion between Bill and Ben. They brag about their super-smart daughters and wonder how the apples could fall so far from the tree. They chat about Ben's upcoming canoe trip, the new issue of BWD, upcoming Reader Rendezvous, and about Bill's recent (amazing) baseball catch on national TV. Bill shares a music recommendation: American treasure John Prine.

Ben and Bill take a break during the Outdoor Retailer show in Denver, Colorado to talk about the products, trends, and environmental awareness they found at this major event for retail stores. Like Johnny Appleseed, they planted the seeds of birding awareness among the many cool folks and companies they encountered. And there was free beer. Birding tip: It's time to look for southbound shorebirds, swallows, martins, and nighthawks.

The stoke is high for Ben and Bill's upcoming trips to Man Camp (People Camp) in West Virginia and to Colorado for the Outdoor Retailer Show. In this episode, their Zugunruhe has them all over the place topicwise, including fledglings at feeders, higher hummer numbers, famous Birding Expo keynote speakers, the new Duck Stamp, and the demise of the Porro prism binocular (according to the LeBron James of Birding Optics). Bill's music recommendation is TroubleFunk, out of Washington DC.

Recorded live in three parts during the recent Bird Watcher's Digest Reader Rendezvous trip to northern Colorado, this episode features lots of voices. Bill and Ben welcome special guest Clay Taylor of Swarovski Optik to talk about birding optics and his most recent life bird. BWD's own Emily Jones joins in as do many of the Rendezvous participants, to talk about favorite birds, life birds, good food, Pawnee Grasslands, and the ever-majestic Rocky Mountain National Park. Oh, and, in case you didn't know, the "p" in ptarmigan is silent.

The gents talk via Skype about their personal fitness regimens, post-spring bird action, appreciating nesting birds, a booby in Maine, jinx birds for 2018, the upcoming Colorado Reader Rendezvous, legalized marijuana and the implications for bird feeding, birds you cannot find by seeking them, their first-ever trip to the Outdoor Retailer Show, and whether or not high-end optics are worth it. Oh, and Ben finally saw a peregrine falcon, but Bill still needs a great horned owl for the OTWTB Global Big Year Challenge™.

Ben is back from Alaska and is headed to Maine for birding festivals. The guys chat about their upcoming travels, the advantages of spotting scopes and when to carry them, carbon-fiber tripods, missed birds and bonus birds, and the joy of having kids smarter than they are. They reveal their species totals in the OTWTB Global Big Year Challenge™. Spoiler alert: One of them is WAY ahead.

Recorded outside in the bucolic setting at Opossum Creek Retreat during the New River Birding and Nature Festival in Fayetteville, West Virginia, this episode finds the boys talking about this spring's slow migration, the amazing birder/naturalist Mark Garland, the hottub origin story of Redstart Birding, birding etiquette, dealing with SOBs (Spouses of Birders), hot toad action, and paying it forward as a birder and human.

This episode is a crazy quilt of topics including an overview of spring birding festivals, a review of the guys' travel plans, the technological challenges of list keeping, the humor of Al Batt, Audubon's Elephant Folio, loud rock concerts, choosing the best optics, and a special musical interlude from a podcast listener. And a sort-of update on the OTWTB Global Big Year Challenge™.

Back in the USA, the boys are excited about waterfowl watching season. Ben talks about his bout with Duck Eye and how the Swarovski BTX scope cured him. Bill talks about #TamronTuesday and the opening day of the new baseball season. They also chat about the challenges of the Global Big Year Challenge™ and their struggles with eBird. Bill shares a new musical recommendation: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit's new record "The Nashville Sound."

Los dos pajareros recorded this episode in two segments from the porch of their rustic accommodation at The Lodge at Pico Bonito. In part one they chat about the wonders of birding in the tropics. In part two they discuss the proposed closing of the Pico Bonito Lodge and what a sad possibility that would be. They have no solid update on the OTWTB Global Big Year Challenge™ because they haven't counted recently.

Spring birds and birding are on the minds of the lads in this episode. Bill waxes rhapsodic about seeing a timberdoodle and shares some tips for getting ready for spring migration. Ben is preparing for a XC skiing race and bragging about closing the gap in the OTWTB Global Big Year Challenge™. Then the guys confess their musical love and admiration for Edie Brickell.

Fresh from the Space Coast Birding Festival, Bill and Ben welcome special guest Clay Taylor from Swarovski Optik to talk about his start in the bird biz, birding festivals, bird photography, and why Corpus Christi, Texas, is the continent's birdiest city. Ben and Bill reconvene after the Reader Rendezvous to discuss the glamor birds of Florida, Ben's gull resolution, bus engine trouble, great birding guides Adam and Gina Kent, and playing darts under the unwavering gaze of Mel Gibson. Then Ben refuses to share his species count during a global Big Year challenge update, despite Bill's emotional support and encouragement.

Bill and Ben launch their OTWTB Global Big Year Challenge to see which of them can see the most birds in 2018. They discuss the Polar Bear Club, favorite birding gear for travel, high-end compact binoculars, the wonders of Merino wool, and they welcome two new sponsors: Swarovski Optik and Redstart Birding.

The lads gab about a huge array of topics, including their first birds of the year, their birding resolutions, planning the (bird) garden, gearing up for 2018 birding events, seeking the chalk-dusted barley hopper, and some wildly disparate music recommendations.

As they pass the quarter-century mark for episodes, the fellas sit inside on a snowy day and chat about winter birding, the recent Rock & Roll Reader Rendezvous in Cleveland, Jen Brumfield's record-setting county Big Year, the treasures held by the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, snowy owls, spark birds and spark jobs, Balto the wonder dog, and Audubon's cackling goose. Bill's RockHall music recommedation is to listen to Prince's guitar solo on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." And, as an aside, Ben is getting back into optics retail.

Ben and Bill recorded this episode while sitting outside in southeastern Ohio. They chat about Ben's recent experiences at the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival in Texas, and the upcoming events at the Space Coast Birding Festival in Florida. Nemesis birds, missed rarities, hoped-for sightings, smelly vans, dump birding, birding skill-building and field-sketching workshops, Tamaulipas and Rain Crows, and shooting video versus recording an audio podcast are all topics that arise in this episode. Then, Bill drove Ben to the airport.

Just returned from yet another trip to Costa Rica, Ben spares a few minutes from his travels to chat with Bill about umbrellabirds, sunbitterns, pearl kites, U.S. birder demographics, birder types, the joys of guiding casual novice birders, and the time his mother-in-law got busted trying to smuggle cheese internationally. The boys also talk about upcoming Reader Rendezvous adventures in Florida and Colorado. Finally, Bill has a throw-back musical recommendation: Squeeze: Singles 45's and Under.

Ben Lizdas has been to Costa Rica twice this fall (lucky dog). In this episode he talks with some of his fellow participants in the Costa Rica Birding Challenge about birding in the tropics, birding competitions, ecolodges, and the wonders of Costa Rica. Sadly, (or perhaps not) Bill is almost completely excluded from this episode, but there's still a strong Thompson Family presence: That's Bill's daughter Phoebe doing the intro and outro voiceover.

Through the magic of Skype the fellas hold down a conversation about rare birds, The Big Sit!, big sit strategy and rules, big years, world big years, and birding competitions. They also dip into the ornithological literature for a sidebar about male duck reproductive strategy. WARNING: Contains a short discussion of male duck genitalia.

The boys have a chinwag while walking the aisles of the 2017 American Birding Expo, near Philadelphia, PA. They stop to speak with friends from Chile, Australia, Uganda, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania about a variety of birding-related topics, including birding cameras, Rapa Nui, birds and wine, gorillas, shoe-billed storks, kangaroos, and new birders. They also discuss the Walking Dead fan event going on next door to the Expo. The episode ends with them heading over to find some zombies. We don't know if they ever came back.

Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Ivan, Gloria, and others dominate the boys' conversation in this episode. They discuss the impact of severe storms on people, birds, and birding as well as the possible extinction of birds such as the Cozumel thrasher and the Barbuda warbler. Also discussed is how we birders can help weather-devastated communities with our ecotourism dollars in the future. Finally, Bill has a musical recommendation: "So You Want to Be an Outlaw," the new album from Steve Earle & the Dukes.

The lads pause for a post-BirdFair beer and chat in the back garden of the Lord Nelson pub in charming Oakham, England. They touch on a plethora of topics, including English beer, customs, currency, conservation ethos, and English as a second English language. Plus they dance across other topics, including ecotourism, the political clout of birders, international travel, and the upcoming American Birding Expo.

The guys talk about birding along borders and why it's often so good. They also discuss how the proposed border wall in South Texas is a horrible thing for birds and nature and will ruin a great birding site. They talk about their best border birding adventures in Texas, Arizona, Alaska, Minnesota, Hawaii, and North Carolina. Shout outs to: "Easy Rider", the ABA, the British Birdwatching Fair, Patty Larkin, Lauren Barth, The Knack, and Dexy's Midnight Runners.

Are we humans really on top of the food chain? Recent research and stories from the field may tell us we're not. The two Birding Bs talk about smart birds (ravens), soulful birds (jays and hawks), voracious insects, the smell of a herd of elk in heat, dangerous moments in nature, and much more. Bill also has a cool music recommendation for our listeners: Jake La Botz.

The guys talk about the many ways birds are symbolic for humans. From the U.S. national symbol (the bald eagle) to a fight over the Oregon state bird, to wise owls, canaries in coal mines, beer labels, and bird tattoos, the guys cover topics like a sleeve of tatts covers your arm. Then Ben goes to a waterpark and we're waiting to see if he survived.

Ben & Bill talk about the connections between birding and music, and how music lovers are good at birding by ear; famous birders; the new book Good Birders STILL Don’t Wear White; and how cowbirds learn their own song. Bill’s “The Song in My Head” recommendation is Aimee Mann’s new album, Mental Illness.

The boys continue their discussion from the Hog Island Audubon Camp in Maine, chatting about seeing Atlantic puffins and other coastal birds and how birding gives you a sense of place. They also talk about two notes sent in by listeners, one about the musical suggestions from Bill and the other a nature soundscape recorded by a listener in Finland. The episode closes with Bill's latest new music recommendation: an artist known as Delicate Steve.

Bill and Ben discuss the weird spring migration of 2017, and Ben interviews two bird migration experts: Greg Neise of the American Birding Association, and Dr. David LaPuma of Cape May Bird Observatory. Many birders agree that 2017's spring migration was abnormal and slow. Was it caused by weather? Climate Change? Population declines? Listen to find out.

The boys recorded this one sitting on the back porch at Opossum Creek Retreat in Fayetteville, West Virginia, following the fabulous New River Birding & Nature Festival. This episode features an interview with Debbie Sturdivant Jordan of Holbrook Travel, one of our podcast sponsors. The fellows talk about learning bird songs, being in birding guide mode, and a great book, The Warbler Guide.

Recorded live during the first international Reader Rendezvous for Bird Watcher's Digest in southern Portugal. The guys talk about birding in this ancient land, and the wonderful food, wine, landscapes, culture, people, and, oh yeah, birds they've encountered. They also talk about upcoming spring birding events and the famous osprey cam on Hog Island, Maine.

The guys share pro tips for traveling birders, especially for optics and carry-on luggage. They also discuss the often hilariously wrong use of bird sounds on TV and in the movies.

Bill and Ben talk about the importance of birding mentors, including the late, great Chan Robbins, who banded Wisdom the albatross in 1956. They talk about opportunities for young birders, and how Bill's daughter, Phoebe, recently added a new species to the home farm bird list.

Ben and Bill yak about birding Big Days, The Big Sit!, tips for a successful Big Sit!, musicality in birds, spring bird song, and the Rock & Roll Rendezvous. Plus Bill has another music recommendation.

Bill and Ben discuss a mind-numbing array of topics including taking care of backyard birds, signs of spring, the NFL's concussion protocol, roadrunner vs. hummingbird, and how birding is good for mental health.

Bill and Ben enjoy and in-person chat from a hotel balcony overlooking the beach in Tybee Island, Georgia. Topics range from beach-nesting birds and rarities to skimmer bills and rusty blackbirds. Bill also offers some new music suggestions.

The fellas recorded this episode while sitting in a rental car in the rain in fabulous birding habitat along the St. John's River near Titusville, Florida. They talk about birding in Florida, limpkin bills, limpkin calls, seeing both bitterns, travel must-haves, and more.

Bill and Ben recorded this episode live from Las Vegas while attending the SHOT Show. They discuss the gear affinity between birding and hunting, the inclusion of eBird in the new Subaru, winter birding, the ethics of owling, Project SNOWstorm, and the Ameircan Birding Expo. With this episode we welcome Kowa Sport Optics as a podcast sponsor!

Ben and Bill romp through a variety of topics from Duck Stamps to birding events, and from young rock star birders to Ben’s regular reference to scatology.

Bill and Ben discuss their usual potpourri of subjects, ranging from scientific to scatological, and from musical to memorable. Ben has been scouring the scientific literature for edifying topics while Bill has been trying to recover from a recent journey. Join the fellows for a relaxed conversation about birds, birding, and the latest in scatological research.

Bill and Ben talk about a variety of topics in this inaugural episode of the OTWTB podcast, including evening grosbeaks, the winter finch forecast, wild turkeys, seabird guano and climate change, feral cats, and the Honduras Birding for Conservation Tour.

Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews Eagle Optics sales manager Ben Lizdas about prism types, considerations for nature-watching, and much more.

Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews Eagle Optics sales manager Ben Lizdas about prism types, considerations for nature-watching, and much more.

Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews Eagle Optics sales manager Ben Lizdas about the optics buying process, the questions customers ask about binoculars, how much to spend, choosing the right power, and much more.

Host Bill Thompson, III, interviews Eagle Optics sales manager Ben Lizdas about the optics buying process, the questions customers ask about binoculars, how much to spend, choosing the right power, and much more.