About

A flock of birders

This is story of an everyday family who got smitten by the birding bug and became closer to the natural world and each other in the process.

Listen to our story on the Wilderness and Wellness podcast with host Ron Waline.

You’ll learn about David and how his friend Noel introduced him to birding which had a profound effect on him, causing him to do a complete about-face in his education track as a PhD candidate in engineering. We then learn about how David’s newfound obsession for birding slowly rubbed off on his partner Alison, and then quickly bled over to her parents and sister, giving them a new appreciation for this aspect of the natural world and bringing them all closer together through their newfound love of identifying and appreciating the feathered beings around us, especially during this time of social distancing with the coronavirus and the timely opportunity it has provided for delving into the natural world more fully.

Featuring the voices of: David Cuban, mechanical engineer, starting his PhD in Biology at the University of Washington studying birds, the group’s gateway into birding; Noel Bond, naturalist, National Park Service Ranger, Peace Corps Volunteer, original birder of the group, and best friend to David; Alison Ryan, public health professional and partner to David; Blair Ryan and Peter Nerothin, sister and brother-in-law to Alison, and the newest bird enthusiasts in the family. Dean Ryan and Lynn Pawson, residents of Ventura, California, and parents to Alison and Blair. Dean’s bird photos are available for viewing here:  Dean’s photography page

We’re thinking a Big Year is an activity relatively safe from COVID that will give us a little extra motivation to explore the nature close to home, and wherever our travels may take us later this year. We’re excited to have Peter’s parents Paul and Julie, join us from home bases in Fort Myers, Florida and Scandia, Minnesota, and Peter’s brother Jason and his family (Madison, Wisconsin), and sister (Wyoming, Minnesota). Their contributions from other areas of the country will delight for sure.