Season 2 of the Mammalwatching Podcast: Arjan Dwarshuis

Arjan Dwarshuis is probably looking for a mammal behind the birds. Photo by Friso Boven

December 25 1914: as World War I is raging, British and German troops along the frontline lay down their rifles, and cross the trenches to play a friendly football match.

September 2022: the mammalwatching podcast brings a second, arguably greater, testament to the human ability to heal wounds, cross divides and search for peace despite many years of conflict. Yes, Charles and Jon lay down their binoculars to reach out across the barbed wire and welcome a birder onto this podcast.

And not just any birder: we are joined from the Netherlands by Arjan Dwarshuis who holds the world Big Birding Year record for his epic 40 country and 6852 species trip in 2016. A professional birder, Arjan is an author, very successful podcaster and conservation champion.

In a (worryingly!) enjoyable chat we talk about some of Arjan’s favourite mammal sightings, his Big Year and why birding is now officially cool.

It would be crass to put ourselves forward. But if you are inspired there are Nobel Peace Prize nomination forms here. The three of us are ready to share the award https://www.nobelprize.org/nomination/peace/

You can stream the podcast here or find it on your favorite podcast platform (search for “mammalwatching”).

Here is a YouTube trailer.

A big thanks to Marc Bozon for suggesting we get Arjan on the podcast!

3 Comments

  • Scott Flamand

    Jon, Does this mean that I no longer have to hide my birding habit from my mammal watching friends?

    • Jon Hall

      haha – I cannot speak for your other friends but I have your back Scott. This is a safe space. Just so long as you remember your priorities….

  • Warren Gilson

    Back from a week in South Australia where on the last morning I drove north for an hour to try and find red kangaroo (I was supposed to be heading south to catch my flight out of Adelaide) when I saw on the roadside … an emu and her four chicks!!!!! SO thrilled as the emu is such an Australian icon, I did get to see the red kangaroo (hence doing the Australian Coat of Arms double!) and then pelted south in heavy rain at 110 km/h for three hours to get to the airport in time. My emu photo has made it into my mammal photograph album.

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