We're fans of fall, migration, learning about weather patterns, and trees. Today, we're catching up and geeking out about all of it. Plus, Mollee recaps her recent birding tour in Costa Rica, and Alvaro talks about finding a Townsend's Solitaire near his home in Ontario.

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Check out our upcoming tours

• Birds & Wine: Chile with Argentina: March 6-22, 2027
• Costa Rica: A Birder’s Paradise: March 7 - 15, 2027
• Thailand: Apr 4 - 18, 2027
• Colorado Grouse: Apr 1 - Apr 11, 2027
• Texas Hill Country: April 23 - 28, 2027
• Safari Brazil: The Pantanal: July 10 - 19, 2027

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Topics covered

• What's missing from "bird weather" forecasts
• Alvaro's Townsend's Solitaire find
• Varied thrush migration
• Molly's Caribbean-slope Costa Rica tour.
• Birding from different perspectives
• Old-growth trees
• Favorite trees in the United States
• Planting trees for birds
• Long-term planting decisions with a warming climate in mind

Get more Life List by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com.

Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.

Kashi Davis, principal zoologist and conservation biologist with New Jersey DEP Fish and Wildlife, joins us to talk about the realities of managing endangered coastal birds in New Jersey. She breaks down what happened in the 2026 breeding season for piping plovers, least terns, American oystercatchers, black skimmers, and black rails, and explains how storms, habitat change, and human recreation shape so much of the work. We also discuss the public-facing side of conservation, from beach management plans and volunteer outreach to the challenge of asking beachgoers to share crowded shorelines with nesting birds. Along the way, the conversation gets into birding culture, funding, and why some species, like black rails, are so difficult to monitor.

Get more Life List by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com.

Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.

Hey folks, first off, we're covering a heavy topic today as we reflect on safety in nature in light of recent news and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's role in taking a stance on it.

Other topics we cover include:

• Why birding in Portugal is just gosh-darn fun
• Steppe habitats of the world
• How the word "discovering" might be overused in new species

Plus, check out our tours!

• Birds Georgia is collaborating with Hillstar Nature in India
• Alvaro's Adventures has upcoming tours in India, birds and wine features, and soon a newly scheduled tour in Thailand
• See Mollee's most recent tour announcements on her website

Thanks for listening along as we chat about our lives...and our lists!

Get more Life List by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com.

Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.