Birdbrained: When Nature and Technology Collide

What happens when technology and competition start to invade our experiences in nature? For example, what if you’re so focused on documenting a bird sighting in your iPhone app that you fail to appreciate the majestic songs of the bushtit or dickcissel on the branch in front of you? In this episode, Jason, Rob, and Asher explore the world of competitive birding, the relationship between those who love nature and the technology they use to connect to it, and how even the most gentle of shared passions can get corrupted by status-fueled competition. Bear with us through the maddening tech and over-the-top competition as we rediscover how to observe and just exist within our home ecosystems. Originally recorded on 3/5/26.

Sources/Links/Notes:

• Holding the Fire
• Owen Reiser, Listers: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching, 2025
• David Frankel, The Big Year, 2011 film
• Nature photographer Hannah Seilhan