Episodes
Who’s ready to see fabulous finches in their yard this season? Join John and Brian as they discuss when you might expect to see finches and how to attract them to your yard. 
Published 11/17/22
Where do you find your joy? How far do you have to travel to enjoy birds and nature? John & Brian discuss how you can reap the abundant benefits of nature at home and how you can thank the birds.  
Published 11/03/22
Being a backyard scientist is as easy as watching the birds and sharing what you see. Emma Greig, The Project Leader for Project FeederWatch, tells us just how simple and incredibly helpful it can be! Join tens of thousands already participating. 
Published 10/20/22
The cast of birds are changing with the seasons. Brian & John share how you can enjoy this change by offering the birds’ favorite feeder and foods.  
Published 10/06/22
Can you really save birds and increase your health by planting trees? What about the secret to successfully planting a tree in your yard? We met with Pete Smith from the Arbor Day Foundation to answer these questions and more.  
Published 09/22/22
Where have all your birds gone? Why isn’t your food being eaten? It’s all about the cache. That’s right, caching is taking place as birds start to prepare for winter; among other survival strategies. How can you help? What neat activities might you spy? John and Brian are here to tell you. 
Published 09/08/22
John and Brian discuss how to attract Purple Martins to your yard, how to be a good landlord for them, and how to help martins even if you don’t provide housing for them. They also dispel some myths about these amazing aerialists.
Published 08/25/22
John and Brian welcome back special guest David Mizejewski, Naturalist for the National Wildlife Federation, to discuss the importance of water to birds and wildlife plus the simplicity of what that looks like whatever the size of your “yard.”   
Published 08/11/22
With decades of experience John & Brian discuss bird feeding from its humble beginnings almost a century ago, the amazing value that has been added to the hobby for both people and birds, as well as what the future holds. Could bird feeding vending machines be just around the corner? Plus, a surprise visit from a Red-headed Woodpecker that steals the show. 
Published 07/28/22
Some people choose to not feed in the summer, but what are they missing? A whole lot it turns out. John and Brian make a case for helping your birds by providing key supplemental nutrition, as well as attracting more birds and seeing behaviors you’d otherwise miss. 
Published 07/14/22
John and Brian bring fun and amazing examples of why crows and ravens are arguably the world's smartest birds. They discuss studies from some folks who have studied them for decades and introduce one whose fulltime job is taking care of one family group of ravens. 
Published 06/30/22
Do you know bird calls? John and Brian bet you know more than you realize. In this episode they bring the energy and expert tips to inspire anyone to take bird watching and listening to the next level.  
Published 06/16/22
In the episode, John and Brian share about bird dads and their vocal secrets to success. They discuss why bird dads sing, what they are saying and how they learned their song. Plus, how did noise pollution and the quiet of the pandemic affect singing birds?  
Published 06/02/22
In this episode, John & Brian recorded live from the Wild Birds Unlimited annual conference where our store owners gathered for their annual migration to refresh, learn and find new treasures. You’ll hear some fun as well as heart-warming store owner stories. Who knows? Maybe one of them is from your neck of woods (or backyard).  
Published 05/19/22
John and Brian discuss the best bird mom ever. Hummingbird moms are arguably one of the toughest ladies out there. With all the odds stacked against them, we should celebrate how hummingbird moms are the champions this Mother’s Day. 
Published 05/05/22
Ever wonder what others aren’t telling you about backyard birding? Join John and Brian as they impart their spring secrets to increase your bird variety and activity this year. And, who? who? is that we’re talking about at the end of the episode? 
Published 04/21/22
Habitat, habitat, habitat! That’s right, there’s more to learn about our own little natural parks we call our backyards. John and Brian share exciting new research on just how much of an impact an individual can make for local wildlife. Hint, it’s a lot! Stay tuned to the end to find out if we could see the dodo again in our lifetimes. 
Published 04/07/22
Join John and Brian as they celebrate the 50th episode of Nature Centered while broadcasting from John’s backyard. Brian grades John’s bird feeding setups while giving you a closer look at how these pros like to feed. We’re reading reviews, talking with our producer Evan, and finding out “what is moon migration?” 
Published 03/24/22
This year for nesting season, John and Brian are going to teach you what your backyard birds are looking for when they’re “house shopping” for the right yard to raise a family, and how you can help your birds raise more birds with better chances to fledge. 
Published 03/10/22
Have new birds? Have no birds? John and Brian will fill you in on the state of our union … at least as it pertains to backyard birding. Listen in to find out who is seeing what and where across North America, and find out how squirrels actually help our backyard birds. 
Published 02/24/22
Participate in GBBC February 18–21, 2022 | https://www.birdcount.org/   Watching birds is fun and recording what you see is extremely valuable to science, conservation and even you. Join John, Brian, and Becca Rodomsky-Bish from the Cornell lab of Ornithology as they talk about the upcoming citizen science project, the Great Backyard Bird Count, and follow up with food pairings for certain birds.  Special guest, Becca Rodomsky-Bish from Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Project Leader for the...
Published 02/10/22
Participate in GBBC February 18–21, 2022 | https://www.birdcount.org/   Wild Birds Unlimited is the Founding Sponsor of the Great Backyard Bird Count. This citizen-science project is for all ages and helps #SaveTheSongBirds. Free GBBC Webinar on Wednesday, February 16, 2pm ET. Sign up to learn all about bird ID, unlocking the mystery of bird songs, and practice counting birds no matter how large the flock or busy the feeder. This webinar is designed for birders of all ages and...
Published 01/27/22
Kick off the new year with a food that can bring more joy (over 150 species) and improve everyone’s backyard birding. In this episode, John and Brian geek out with one of their favorite bird foods, Bark Butter. They share personal feeding tips, what inchworms and Bark Butter have in common, and how you, too, will add more fun to your bird feeding hobby.  
Published 01/13/22
Join Evan in this episode for a recap of the Wild Birds Unlimited 2021 Nature Centered podcasts. Thanks for listening and have a Happy New Year! 
Published 12/30/21
We have the right to be choosy on birds we like and don’t like. When you feed the birds, you take what comes along with it. In this episode, John and Brian have information for you on how to deal with nuisance birds. They will help you bring the joy back to your bird feeding. Whether you really love all the birds or there are some you don’t really care for; they have solutions to help you out!  
Published 12/16/21