Whether you’re just beginning to explore the Western United States or you’ve been living here since the day you were born, the Via Podcast will introduce you to new and unique adventures that will change your perspective. Hosts Mitti Hicks and Michelle Donati bring their travel expertise to interviews with some of the West’s most fascinating experts, residents, and adventurers. In each episode, you will discover deep conversations in the hopes of igniting a new interest—foraging anyone?—or planting the seeds of a new-to-you road trip. You might even learn something about a place you’ve explored dozens of times before. Whether you’re listening from the comfort of your couch, your morning commute, or on the road, the Via Podcast, presented by AAA, will be good company. And, of course, our AAA Members have a lot to say about traveling the West, so we’ll be sharing their emails and audio messages along the way.
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Whether you’re just beginning to explore the Western United States or you’ve been living here since the day you were born, the Via Podcast will introduce you to new and unique adventures that will change your perspective. Hosts Mitti Hicks and Michelle Donati bring their travel expertise to interviews with some of the West’s most fascinating experts, residents, and adventurers. In each episode, you will discover deep conversations in the hopes of igniting a new interest—foraging anyone?—or planting the seeds of a new-to-you road trip. You might even learn something about a place you’ve explored dozens of times before. Whether you’re listening from the comfort of your couch, your morning commute, or on the road, the Via Podcast, presented by AAA, will be good company. And, of course, our AAA Members have a lot to say about traveling the West, so we’ll be sharing their emails and audio messages along the way.
Adventures with the World’s Best Birder: In Your Backyard and Beyond
Via Podcast
49 minutes 32 seconds
2 months ago
Adventures with the World’s Best Birder: In Your Backyard and Beyond
Noah Strycker is the Indiana Jones of birding, willing to brave jungle heat and Arctic cold just to spot that rare bunting, owl, or hawk. In 2015, in a quest that spanned 41 countries and all seven continents, he set a world record by finding more than 6,000 different kinds of birds—more than half the bird species on Earth—in a single year.
But, as Noah explains in this episode, searching out our feathered friends doesn’t necessarily require epic treks across the globe. Sometimes birding is as simple as keeping your eye on a backyard feeder or taking a mindful walk in the woods. It can also be a great part of any road trip in the West, from the canyons of Arizona to the Bering Strait. Noah regales aspiring birders Mitti and Michelle with tales of his own greatest birding adventures and offers tips for anyone who wants to embark on one of their own.
Destinations we visit:
Madera Canyon, Arizona
Point Reyes, California
Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, California
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon
Nome, Alaska
St. Lawrence Island, Alaska
Colombia
Guyana
Birds we observe:
American robin
Bald eagle
Barred owl
Choco toucan
Great horned owl
Harpy eagle
Northern pygmy owl
Ptarmigan
Puffin
Red-tailed hawk
Ringed kingfisher
Sandhill crane
Snow goose
White-throated sparrow
Yellow warbler
Guest:
Noah Strycker is a writer and photographer based in Eugene, Oregon. He has written several bestselling books, including Birding Without Borders: An Obsession, a Quest, and the Biggest Year in the World and The Thing With Feathers: The Surprising Lives of Birds and What They Reveal About Being Human. He is also the associate editor of Birding magazine. He’s been called a “Travel Pioneer” by the BBC and “Birdman of Razzmatazz” by Newsweek. Noah has an especially soft spot for penguins, which he's observed and researched on nearly 50 expeditions to Antarctica.
Via Podcast
Whether you’re just beginning to explore the Western United States or you’ve been living here since the day you were born, the Via Podcast will introduce you to new and unique adventures that will change your perspective. Hosts Mitti Hicks and Michelle Donati bring their travel expertise to interviews with some of the West’s most fascinating experts, residents, and adventurers. In each episode, you will discover deep conversations in the hopes of igniting a new interest—foraging anyone?—or planting the seeds of a new-to-you road trip. You might even learn something about a place you’ve explored dozens of times before. Whether you’re listening from the comfort of your couch, your morning commute, or on the road, the Via Podcast, presented by AAA, will be good company. And, of course, our AAA Members have a lot to say about traveling the West, so we’ll be sharing their emails and audio messages along the way.
