On this journey, we find ourselves caught between two very different characters: the vibrant, high-canopy Western Tanager and the rhythmic and secretive Red-breasted Sapsucker. One thrives on a flash of color; the other leaves a trail on bark you have to read like a map. We’ll dive into their habitats and the clues that define them—exploring the playful curiosity and process of piecing together the stories hidden in the canopy. Can you guess who was tucked in the treetop? And what exactly is “blurding”? Find out in Episode 1.
Links:
Danielle Brigida’s original blog post on Blurding, and her blurd photography
“You have to really want to see a Western Tanager…” and excellent photos of that beak
Special thanks to the birds and the recordists at xeno-canto.org for the following field recordings:
Western Tanager, recorded by Thomas Magarian, Creative Commons NC
Red-breasted Sapsucker, recorded by Sunny Tseng, Creative Commons NC
Red-breasted Sapsucker, recorded by Frank Lambert, Creative Commons NC
Red-breasted Sapsucker, recorded by Bobby Wilcox, Creative Commons NC
And thanks to:
Charles Barbieri
Fred Werner
The Crossley ID Guide by Richard Crossley- our favorite
Experienced and recorded on Coast Miwok Land in Northern California.
