Birds and the Examined Life
Should you have any interest whatsoever in exploring the meaning of life, or your place in the world, or even the joy of birdwatching, you might do well to read some philosophers. I dunno, maybe Kant, Nietzsche, Camus, or other dead guys. Or you could check in with Erica Heilman, creator of the podcast Rumble Strip. Better yet, go birding with her.
Which is what I did one spring morning. With her mic and curiosity switched on, Erica and I enjoyed the full-frontal glow of a Yellow Warbler, the antics of a Baltimore Oriole at a nest, and the shake and shudder of an ordinary Song Sparrow beckoning a mate. But as you’ll hear in this episode of the Chasing Nature podcast [https://chasingnature.substack.com/podcast], Erica is nothing if not inquisitive about how any of us might find our place in the culture — and in nature. Only Erica could get me to admit, for example, that, yeah, “I think I would want to die in a bog.” (Which might say a lot about how I see myself in the culture.)
Erica Heilman brings inquisitiveness and perspective to the human condition — our fears and frailties, our strengths and shared ideas, and how we might come together (or not) as communities and neighbors. Which is why she and Rumble Strip [https://www.rumblestripvermont.com/] have won best podcast honors from the likes of The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New York Times, and the folks who give out the prestigious Peabody awards. Erica is also my friend — and for that, whenever we spend time together, I learn about myself, about her, and about the many dimensions and vagaries of being alive.
Having first aired on Rumble Strip a few years ago, this birdwalk episode ran this past Sunday (April 28) on Vermont’s public radio stations, after which lots of listeners checked in with me to say they really enjoyed listening to it. Although some of you may have already heard a version, today I’m sharing a “director’s cut” of the episode on my podcast, especially now that spring bird migration is moving into high gear across much of Northern Hemisphere.
What’s Next
I have three essays in the works for you:
* Next up will be my own take on a woodpecker breaking glass [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/23/us/woodpecker-breaking-car-mirrors.html?unlocked_article_code=1.C08.2YGU.eFiIHZI_i7R0&smid=url-share] in Massachusetts because The New York Times, I’m pleased to report, missed a good angle on this story. You’ll read it here first next week.
* After that, I’ll report on the immorality of the Trump administration’s predictable assault on the U.S. Endangered Species Act, express in a little butterfly you’ve never heard of called Poweshiek Skipperling.
* And then a new take on some earlier writing and ideas of mine about the most effective way to learn stuff in nature — from birds to butterflies to botany. Although there is a place for apps on your phone, this will dispatch will be nothing less than tribute to artistry and knowledge expressed in books — printed field guides.
* Accordingly, all this writing has delayed the “Ask Me Anything” episode of the podcast, which will be dedicated to paying subscribers. Fear not: I’m still working on that one.
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