BirdNote radio show hatches a book by Tenino’s Bob Sundstrom
Birds are big.
OK, the birds themselves are generally small. But watching them, tracking them and learning about them are of no small interest, as the success of the public radio program “BirdNote” proves.
On Wednesday, Thurston County residents with birds on the brain have a chance to celebrate the ear-catching two-minute program and its recently hatched offspring, “BirdNote: Chirps, Quirks, and Stories of 100 Birds from the Popular Public Radio Show.” Lead writer Bob Sundstrom of Tenino and science adviser Trina Bayard of Seattle will share stories, sign books and answer questions.
How much do locals love their feathered friends?
“The book has been selling really well,” said Andrea Y. Griffith, owner of Browsers Bookshop, which will host the avian event. “Anything on birds and birding does well in Olympia.”
Apparently, we’re not alone. The Conde Naste Traveller dubbed birdwatching “2017’s unlikeliest craze,” reporting that the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles has hosted “Birds and Booze” events on its rooftop.
It’s clear that people love “BirdNote,” which began in 2005 at Seattle’s KNKX (then KPLU) and has since migrated to more than 230 radio stations across the country. More than a million listen to it every day.
It might seem strange that birds would be the subject of an audio-only program, given that the traditional term for the pursuit of them is “bird watchers.”
Listening, though, is a huge part of what serious enthusiasts generally call “birding,” as Sundstrom discovered years ago. His specialty, in fact, is birding by ear.
“Sounds are something that I really enjoy, but sounds are also the crucial information you need to know to locate birds,” he told The Olympian. “It’s the information that they are willing to give you. it’s a big deal.”
In fact, during a recent phone interview, Sundstrom was both watching and listening to the creatures on which he’s based his career (which includes teaching birding and leading tours).
“I’m actually sitting on my front porch right now listening to a pileated woodpecker calling and watching waxwings fly by,” he said. “This is a very dynamic season.”
He’s been with “BirdNote” since its early days and has been its lead writer for more than a decade, writing more than 800 stories, 50 of which are included in “Chirps.”
In the book, the stories, edited slightly for print, are accompanied by detailed illustrations created by Eugene, Oregon artist Emily Poole. On the radio, they’re accompanied by the birds themselves.
“If a story has wonderful bird songs, that really helps a lot,” he said. “It has to be a really interesting story if it doesn’t have interesting bird sounds.
“There are some stunningly surprising exotic and goofy and wonderful sounds.”
‘An Evening With BirdNote’
What: Contributors to the popular two-minute public radio show will visit Olympia to talk about birds and the new book based on the show.
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Browsers Bookshop, 107 Capitol Way N., Olympia
Admission: Free
More information: 360-357-7462, browsersolympia.com
Listen: ‘BirdNote’ can be heard locally at 8:58 a.m. Mondays through Fridays and 9:30 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays on KNKX 90.1, or anytime online at birdnote.org.
This story was originally published September 19, 2018 at 6:22 PM.