The Old Naturalist

Well...anyone who has met the Old Naturalist knows that he is one of a kind. But part of what makes Eric Durbin so unique is the fact that he's traveled the world and has seen many sights that the average Joe hasn't. So in this episode the boys discuss the top 10 rarest animals seen by the Old Naturalist. Enjoy!

Unfortunately the Eric and Brandon couldn't get together this month so they decided to have a remote discussion on a topic near and dear to their hearts. Fellow birders and friends Matt Anderson, Tom Kemp, Elliot Tramer, Steve Lauer and Greg Links have updated the wonderful publication Birds of the Toledo Area . In this episode the boys discuss a few of the updates in the new book. Looking for...

What do yellow anacondas and hyacinth macaws have in common? Well...both have been seen by Eric Durbin in the Pantanal, the world's largest tropical wetland. Come along for the ride as The Old Naturalist shows us the wild wonders from central South America.

Everybody loves ducks, right? They're kind of the best. Our guest this month appreciates ducks as much as anybody. Jackson Bowser is an avid duck hunter, an amateur naturalist, and is currently interning with Ohio's Division of Wildlife. In this episode Jackson gets grilled about his waterfowl knowledge and treats the boys to some tasty mallard duck.

At some point in every birder's life the idea of doing a Big Year pops into their head. But a true Big Year can be grueling, and Brandon and the Old Naturalist ain't about that. Listen in to this conversation in which the boys discussed the possibilities of the Lazy Big Year!

Well we're a tad tardy on releasing our January episode, but better late than never. On this show the Old Naturalist does something he's never done before: Failed to pass the quiz. Tune in to see if you can best him at his own game.

Possibly the best yarn spun by the Old Naturalist. In this episode the boys go a little outside the comfort zone to talk about a pivotal moment in the Eric Durbin's life. Take a trip back to the 1970's to check out what Eric was doing in the brain lab at the Medical College of Ohio.

Back when The Old Naturalist wasn't so old he took more than a few trips to Africa. One trip took him to a cave in western Kenya. Little did he know he was risking his life exploring this underground world that had served as a salty oasis for a plethora of animals including elephants for eons. Listen in to see what could have been a scary end for this wise-cracking adventurer.

When Brandon and Eric can't seem to find the time to meet up so Eric can tell a tale about adventures past, Brandon decides to take his girls on a weekday adventure of the local variety. Watch to see if any of the three Brywczynski's catch their first largemouth bass.

A couple months ago the boys decided to quiz Brandon's youngest daughter Audrey on her nature knowledge. Now, we'll see if his oldest daughter Ruby can beat Audrey's score of 4/5. Not to be outdone, you the listener can play along as well!

In this month's installment of The Old Naturalist the usual suspects take a backseat to butterfly enthusiast John Michael Durback. John Michael will teach you how to identify the 3 most common fritillaries in our area. He does a great job breaking down the differences so tune in to learn how to differentiate between these beautiful orange butterflies.

Here's a call back to Season 1 of The Old Naturalist. The boys are doing a quiz, and their victim is Brandon's youngest daughter Audrey. Play along with Audrey and see if you can pass the quiz!

In previous episodes Eric has teased listeners with scant details about a hunting trip to South Africa he took with his friend Jerry. Well, in this episode you get the rest of the story. Watch on Spotify or listen on Apple to the Old Naturalist on Safari!

The Old Naturalist may get his vocabulary tangled up from time to time, but he does know a thing or two about the world's most dangerous snakes. Join Brandon as he learns about some of those serpents from Eric's world travels.

The natural world is always changing. The lives our backyard birds are no exception. In this episode, Eric takes Brandon on a tour of the natural history of some of our more common backyard birds. And to match the theme of the episode, the boys decided to record at a great place to watch the birds: Secor Metropark's Window on Wildlife.

In this month's episode Eric regales Brandon with stories from the tropics. Specifically, the spotlight will be on the country of Venezuela and The Old Naturalist's many trips there. Eric also shares the source of his wanderlust for exploration...something that began when he was a young boy.

Brandon and Eric make their radio debut, streaming live from the campus of Bowling Green State University. With BG in mind, Brandon crafted a little quiz for Eric that is fitting for the city that serves as the seat of Wood County Ohio. Listen in (or watch on Spotify) to see if you can match the Old Naturalist's score. Pictures provided by photographer and friend Brian Zwiebel were much apprec...

Happy 2025 everybody. Brandon and the Old Naturalist are kicking off the new year with a tail from Africa. As a reminder, we'll be doing video podcasts this year so the best way to follow us will be on Spotify. Our Apple Podcast listeners will still be able to listen in, but you won't be able to see us...which is probably not all bad.

It all comes down to this. Will the Old Naturalist pass the quiz in our final episode of the year? Tune in for that and what the plan is for 2025. Thanks again to our friend Brian Zwiebel for the episode art. Happy New Year everybody!

Well the Christmas Bird Count season is in full swing, so the boys decided to have their pal Tom Kemp stop by to talk about one of our favorite counts: The Grand Rapids Waterville Christmas Bird Count. Learn about the history of what for many is a wonderful winter pastime.

The Old Naturalist dug up an old TNA publication he'd like to share with all of you! People tend to take for granted the great experiences that are right in their own backyard. Listen in to hear about some of the 111 places you should visit in the Toledo area.

As we near the Christmas Bird Count Season, Brandon thought it would be fun to quiz Eric over birds that have been found at a hot spot within the Toledo Christmas Bird Count circle: the Bayshore Power Plant. With an assist from friend Greg Links, Brandon challenges the Old Naturalist to finish the year on an intellectual high note. Thanks to our friend Brian Zwiebel for the episode art.

If you live in Northwest Ohio and you're in to birds, there's a pretty good chance you've heard of Tom Kemp. Mr. Kemp has been birding in our area for well over a half century! He's kind of expert on any local bird species, but gulls are his specialty. With that in mind, Eric and Brandon decided to spring a pop quiz on their birding buddy.

In today's episode Eric enlightens Brandon with a biography of Jim Nessle. Mr. Nessle was a Toledo area radio and TV personality who's love for nature was infectious for kids of all ages. Listen in to learn about someone who really excelled at the Toledo Naturalists' mission in "promoting popular interest in the study of natural history."

In November's edition of three for Thursday Eric's knowledge of local area bird records is once again tested by Brandon, the grand inquisitor. One of the species launches Eric down memory lane, to a night in June in the year 1980 at Irwin Prairie with friends Chris Manzey and Elliot Tramer.