Dennis Varza, age 59, of Fairfield, passed away on Sunday, December 29, 2013. Born in Bridgeport, son of the late Victor and Marie Broderick Varza. Dennis had been a Fairfield Town resident for most of his life. Dennis graduated from Shippensburg State College in Pa and did his graduate work at LSU where he earned a MS in Zoology and went on to the University of Oklahoma where he studied aquatic ecology. He had worked for many years as a contract biologist for the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection setting up programs to protect Piping Plovers and Least Terns plus many other projects.

Bird Calls Radio show with live updates from the Christmas Bird Counts around the state. First we checked in with the Westport Circle boat crew of Towny Dickinson and Larry Flynn, then Brian O’Toole of the Greenwich/Stamford Count stopped into the studio for a live update, then we heard from Scott Heth of the Lakeville/Sharon Count in northern CT, then finally Twan Leender of the Litchfield Hills Count. It’s a fun, hectic show with lots of great information.

Our first guest was Denise Savageau, conservation director for the Town of Greenwich. We discussed Greenwich’s IBA’s (including Great Captain’s Island), the importance of clean water and a ton of other environmental issues. Mardi Dickinson, Westport Christmas Bird Count compiler, talks about the annual Christmas Bird Count. I also introduce a few new features to BirdCallsRadio.

Judy Richardson, master bird bander and regional director for CT Audubon. Richardson also owns a property in Costa Rica and bands birds there, too.

BirdCallsRadio show featuring Al Levestin.

Catherine is an artist and birder who is doing a Big Year of sorts, as she explains during the show. She has seen more than 500 bird species this year and is also concentrating on studying and drawing birds. Her favorite birds? Sparrows. Why?

Bird Calls radio show featuring an interview with “The Big Year” author Mark Obmascik. He discusses the movie, the book, the characters in the book and his own passion for birdwatching.

John Fitzpatrick, director of The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. John is a significant figure in birdwatching and bird conservation in America.

Bird Calls radio archive with Patrick Comins _ director of bird conservation for Audubon Connecticut. Patrick discusses protecting land for birds and how that process happens. He also discusses the importance of protecting space and the politics involved. Patrick also talks about what’s next in terms of conservation and also discusses birding in general.

Gilman has more than 30 years experience as a naturalist and has traveled around the globe looking at and helping bird populations. He also knows the Audubon Greenwich grounds well enough to know when certain bird species will appear — to the date.

Bird Calls radio program with master carver Floyd Scholz. We discuss how to get into carving birds, how to sell art, how he got interested in nature and how he plays a banjo while riding a unicycle. Very interesting interview.

Bird Calls radio program that was done live at the annual Oyster Festival in Norwalk. (Click above.) Jenny Dickson, a biologist with the Connecticut DEEP, was the guest and spoke about a variety of topics, such as bats, moose, and, of course, birds, birds, birds.

Bird Calls radio show featuring Luke Tiller, the official hawk watcher at Audubon Greenwich’s Quaker Ridge Hawk Watching area.

Tiller talks about hawk watches, the Young Birders Club, birding in England (his native land) and other topics about birds. Here’s the list of links that Luke mentions on the show.

The show features an interview with Don Riepe, guardian of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in New York City. He discusses a variety of topics, such as shorebirds, shorebird identifications, tromping through the woods as a kid and how to get kids involved in the outdoors these days.

Bird Calls Radio show with long-time birder Terry Wood.

Bird Calls Radio show with long-time birder Richard Soffer. He started birdwatching in the 1940s and has an interesting historical perspective on the hobby. He also birded Sherwood Island extensively and talks about those experiences. His collection of more than 1,400 rare bird books has been donated to Amherst, his alma mater.

The guest is Susan Snider, president of Friends of Norwalk Islands, a new nonprofit group whose mission it is protect and educate people about the Norwalk Islands. Snider is also the former director of Norwalk Seaport Association. Snider attended the annual conference of National Wildlife Refuge System. 

Bird Calls radio show with special guest Joe Zeranski, co-author of Connecticut Birds. Joe talks about the history of birds in Connecticut and the writing of the book.

I speak with Wayne Roberts, regional director of Ducks Unlimited and Joe Warren of Wild Birds Unlimited. Joe talks about feeding birds in the summer and helping baby birds that fall out of the nest. Wayne discusses Ducks Unlimited and ducks in general.

Guest Keith Tomlinson talks about his experiences with birdingpal.org, both as a guide and as a visitor being guided. Here is the archive of the Saturday, July 2, Bird Calls radio show.

I talk about red, white and blue birds, as well as turtles. Joe Warren of Wild Birds Unlimited in Darien, CT, and Bedford Hills, N.Y. talks about bats and bat boxes.

As always thanks for listening.

The show features a fascinating interview with Dara Reid, founder and director of Wildlife in Crisis, a wildlife rehabilitation facility in Weston. Did you know her facility receives as many as 100 phone calls per day during the early summer regarding injured or abandoned wildlife.

Joe Warren of Wild Birds Unlimited in Darien (CT) and Bedford Hills (NY) talks about a trip to Texas where he saw millions of bats.

At the beginning of show, I talk about the birds I’ve been seeing in my yard, including chickadees, nuthatches and titmice with youngsters. I also talk about a listeners favorite bird, the blue jay.  

BirdCallsRadio show featuring Jennie Mortonsen as guest. 

BirdCallsRadio show featuring Richard Crossley as guest. Crossley talks about his newly released Crossley Guide and how he got the thousands of photographs needed to accompany the guide. He also talks about getting the next generation involved in birdwatching.

BirdCallsRadio show featuring John Moeling of the Norwalk Land Trust. He discusses the importance of perserving land, getting kids out in nature and the Norwalk Land Trust.

BirdCallsRadio show featuring David Park as guest. Park is a kayaker and author of “Kayaking In and Around the Norwalk Islands.”