Apple cider, picturesque autumn colors, migrating raptors, and crisp fall days are emblematic of September in mid-Michigan.

Now there's one more reason to plan your fall trip to the Great Lake State.

Birders of all ages and abilities are invited to Midland, Michigan for the inaugural Whiting Forest of Dow Gardens Burding Festival.

This three-day event runs September 19th through the 21st and features art, photography, and writing workshops led by such birding luminaries as Catherine Hamilton and David Sibley.

Birding trips include world-class sites such as Nanking Point Wildlife Area and Shiawassey National Wildlife Refuge where waterfall, raptor, and songbird migration will be in full swing.

Early bird registration runs through August 1st.

For more information and to register, please visit Dow Gardens.org or visit the link in our show notes.

Hello and welcome to the American Burning Podcast from the American Birding Association.

I am your host, Nate Swick, and at the time of this publication, of this podcast release,

I am in Costa Rica, living it up with a bunch of young birders and the fantastic Eva Matthews of Hog Island Audubon.

And while I cannot be certain since I'm recording this the day before I leave,

I'm pretty sure that it's going to be great.

Even if it rains, as it does in Costa Rica this time of year.

But I can talk a bit about a recent trip I just got back from.

Last week, I had the pleasure of exploring Newfoundland

with bird social media rock stars

Nick Lund of the birdist Jason Ward of Birds of North America and the ABA's own birding magazine

editor Ted Floyd, all of whom all have been guests on the American Birding podcast in the past.

It was cool. That was sort of a reunion.

I'm just going to chalk that up to the fact that I've been very good about getting guests

who are movers and shakers in the burning community. But it was actually a lot of fun to get

in the field with people that I'd only chatted with, except for Ted. I'd been out with Ted before.

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