Dusk at the end of March in the pines of Oaxaca’s Sierra Norte. An American robin sings to the twilight and I ache with homesickness. The mountains roll northwest in vast blue silhouettes. Montana is incomprehensibly far away. The song of the robin carries me the thousands of miles in an instant and I’m home, Missoula at the cusp of spring, the cottonwood buds swelling along the river, the pileated woodpeckers calling. I could hop on a jet, worsen the climate crisis, and be home tomorrow. But my decision is made. This year I won’t be going back.

This is a podcast about the connections of birds, the gravity of this moment in history, and something hopeful: an agroecology project, tending the earth for food and wildlife habitat.

As always, I depend on the support of you, my listeners, to continue doing this work. Please share these podcasts, leave a rating, and, if you’re able, support me through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wildwithnature. Thank you!!!

You can find the written, illustrated version of this story here: https://wildwithnature.com/2026/05/01/a-familiar-voice-biodiverse-agriculture/

Un anochecer a finales de marzo entre los pinos de la Sierra Norte de Oaxaca. Un mirlo primavera (Turdus migratorius) canta al crepúsculo y me duele la nostalgia. Las montañas ondulan hacia el noroeste en vastas siluetas azules. Montana está incomprensiblemente lejos. El canto del mirlo me lleva los miles de kilómetros en un instante y estoy en casa, Missoula con la primavera en ciernes, los brotes hinchados de los álamos por el río, las llamadas de los picamaderos norteamericanos (Dryocopus pileatus). Podría abordar un avión, empeorar el crisis climático y estar en casa mañana. Pero ya he tomado mi decisión. Este año no voy a regresar.

Esto es un podcast sobre las conexiones de las aves, la gravedad de este momento histórico en el mundo y algo de esperanza: un proyecto de agroecología, trabajando con la tierra para crear alimentos sanos y hábitat para la vida silvestre.

Como siempre, dependo del apoyo de ustedes, mis oyentes, para seguir con este proyecto. Favor de compartir estos podcasts, dejarme un rating y (si puedes) hacerme una cooperación a través de Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wildwithnature. Muchísimas gracias!!!

Puedes encontrar la versión escrita con la historia aquí, con muchas fotos del campo: https://wildwithnature.com/2026/05/01/una-voz-familiar-la-arenilla/

This month’s story is about the wonder of fall migration. The southward movement of billions of birds across the North American continent is so vast that it’s hard to imagine, impossible to comprehend. But there are glimpses: the fall flocks, the birds of summer gone without a goodbye, the sips and cheeps of hundreds of migratory sparrows from the weeds.

This story is really special to me—and extra special because it’s my last one before I go on hiatus for a while. I’ve shared some more details about that towards the end of the episode.

As usual, this story is an immersive soundscape with lots of bird sounds that I recorded in the field: from Montana, sounds of common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula), cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum), white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys), yellow-rumped warbler (Setophaga petechia), white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis), mourning warbler (Geothlypis philadelphia), various sparrows in a flock, eastern screech-owl (Megascops asio), swamp sparrow (Melospiza georgiana), and purple finch (Haemorhous purpureus). And from Oaxaca, the sharp calls of a ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris).

Independent podcasting isn’t easy, which is one of the reasons I’m taking a break for a while. In the meanwhile, all of the ways that you support this show remain greatly appreciated! Spreading the word about the podcast is huge, and leaving a rating helps too. And of course, my Patreon supporters are what’s kept me going this long. If you’re a current supporter, don’t worry—I’m pausing your monthly charges until I start podcast production again. And if you’re not a supporter but would like to look into it, please check out https://www.patreon.com/wildwithnature. Podcasting can be lonely at times, but knowing you’re there with me makes it much less so.

You can find the written, illustrated version of this story here: https://wildwithnature.com/2025/10/01/fall-migration/