The Thing with Feathers: birds and hope with Courtney Ellis

Courtney Ellis
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Stories, experts, and special guests on how birds help us keep looking up. courtneyellis.substack.com

  1. Oct 19

    133: Tracking Migration

    How can you track a migrating bird? For decades, the answer was with a leg band. When they were caught, birds were given little bracelets with tracking numbers. Then, if they were ever caught again, we could learn about where they’d been. This was a great system for its time, but it also had lots of problems. The odds of a single bird being captured multiple times aren’t high, for one thing. For another, even a recaptured bird could only tell us where it was when it was banded and where it was now. We had no way of tracking its in-between points. Where did it stop? Where did it spend the most time? Did we encounter it at its southernmost or northernmost arrival, or only somewhere in between? Enter Motus. This revolutionary new tracking system helps us find birds all along their journeys. It is teaching us so much about the routes birds take, their preferred stopping places, their tenacity and endurance, and more. This week on the show we have the privilege of learning from Chris Spurgeon, board member of Pasadena Audubon and of the Southern Sierra Research Station. Chris is a fount of knowledge, a wealth of wisdom, and a passionate advocate for birds. I learned so much from him, and I know you will, too. Other books mentioned in this week’s episode of the show: David Sibley’s What It’s Like To Be A Bird Scott Weidensaul’s A World On The Wing And Scott’s new book, devoted to optimistic stories about conservation and birds, Return of the Oystercatcher Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

    133: Tracking Migration

  2. Sep 28

    132: All God’s Creatures

    Amanda Sparkman is a professor of biology at Westmont College, an author of books for children and young adults (and adults like me who love young adult literature!), and a passionate student of the natural world. Her delight in the creatures she studies is beautifully evident in our conversation. Join us for this lovely podcast as we cover the adaptability of Acorn Woodpeckers, the beauty of marrying science and literature, and the hope we find when we look to God’s good creation. Plus: why California Towhees are just so darned special. You can find Amanda’s beautiful books on her website, Amazon, or wherever books are sold. (The Wild Neighbors series is also available in Spanish, and the young adult novels are free to listen to on Spotify.) Her scientific research is available here, and really delightful, too. Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

  3. Sep 14

    131: The Poetics of Nature

    I first got to know Paul Willis as a kind grandfather who occasionally attended my church. He and his wife Sharon lived up in central California, but when they were down here visiting their children and grandchildren, they’d sit right in the front pew, always with a warm, kind word for me after the service. Then I discovered over time that Paul had a list of credentials longer than my arm. As so many wise, brilliant, truly kind people do, he never led with this. He wanted to hear about me. About our church. About what I’d been reading. The loveliest people tend to make you feel like you are the most interesting thing in the room. But little by little, I learned that Paul was a professor emeritus in English at Westmont College. That he’d been a poet-in-residence through the national park system. That he’d served as the Poet Laureate for the city of Santa Barbara. And I started to pick up his books and poetry. Oh, what poetry. Paul has been formed by his time in the Cascades and the Sierras, national parks and national forests, and by a deep love and knowledge of literature. And an even deeper love for the Lord. Our conversation is a gift, and it’s one I’m so excited to share with you today. Check out more of Paul’s work at his website, and his most recent anthology of collected writings around Advent and Christmas here. Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

  4. Aug 31

    130: The Poetry of Open Spaces

    I first met Seth Wieck in person at the 2024 Festival of Faith and Writing at Calvin University. We had a thirty second encounter where he held a door for me in his red raincoat (Michigan in April can be a little fickle when it comes to the weather) and we exchanged a greeting. That was it. The Festival is one of those places where the sheer volume of interesting people can be overwhelming. The halls are filled with New York Times bestselling authors, literary agents who can change your life, poets and illustrators and journalists. It can be rich and rewarding but it can also be grasping and schmoozy. I’d followed Seth on social media for a bit and loved both his read alouds—poetry delivered by memory in a Texas panhandle accent, usually while driving—and his recommendations. He’s the one who first put Chera Hammons, the fabulous poet we had on the show a few weeks back, on my radar. In those few seconds I realized, oh, Seth is exactly who he is online in person, too. One of the good ones. A person who loves language because language is fascinating and transcendent and gritty and strange. Someone who has been married for twenty years and working on his poetry for even longer. A well-read writer eager to encourage other writers, happy to share the literary joy. When I heard he had a new book (his first, I believe) coming out, I could not wait to get my hands on it. These are poems he’s been working on for over two decades. I tore through it on its release day, leaving the dishes to soak in the kitchen and I don’t regret a moment of it. My friends, Call Out Coyote is a gift. It’s a treasure. It will take you through the arid landscapes of Texas, down to each parent’s greatest fear, and up to the heights of what it means to buy into a community for decades. There are coyotes and hawks, rattlesnakes and sparrows. There is death and light and love and longing. I’m so excited to share today’s conversation with you. Check out Call Out wherever books are sold. (I’m a fan of ordering directly from Wiseblood Books, as they do fabulous work and you might stumble upon another new favorite while you’re there.) Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

  5. Aug 17

    129: Awakening Delight

    Stéphanie Rousselle, founder of Gospel Spice Ministries, came on the show today to talk about her brand new book, Awaken Delight: Satisfying Your Soul’s Longing for God, out just a few weeks ago with InterVarsity Press. Our wide-ranging conversation covered her childhood, growing up as an atheist in France, to her conversion to Christianity as a young adult, to discovering the deep delights offered to us in Christ. Plus: a deep dive into the two French words for hope and why understanding a bit about them can help us engage with the hope God offers us. Rousselle is a passionate believer in chocolate, sleep, and the goodness of God. She’s also a little bit in love with Northern Cardinals. Listen along to find out why. Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

  6. Aug 3

    128: Spiritual Practices for the Weary

    Becky McCoy knows a thing or two about being weary. Her story winds through years of striving, widowhood, long Covid, depression, and single parenting. In the midst of seasons of real suffering, she longed to connect more deeply with God. Yet so many books on spiritual practices told her to do more or try harder or just make time. What if there was a better way? McCoy turned to the ancient rhythms of the church to find grace and connection in seasons of her own upheaval. If you, like me, resonate with longing for a faith that is about being with rather than doing for, you will love her new book, In the Company of the Weary. Becky and I talked about everything from the hope we’ve encountered in understanding the gentleness of Jesus, birdwatching during the pandemic, puffins (PUFFINS!), and the grace of paying attention. Plus, some rad spiritual practices I’d never really explored before. (Visio divina? Rule of life? Tell me more!) McCoy is a kind, wise guide and I can’t wait to share this conversation with you today. What about you—do you have a favorite spiritual practice? I’d love to hear about it! Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

  7. Jul 20

    127: Birds of America

    Chera Hammons has quite the story. From the ashes of an abusive marriage and subsequent divorce, she has found solace, hope, and perspective from the natural world. Her newest collection of poetry, Birds of America: poems, is gritty, gripping, and filled with grace. I couldn’t put it down. Join me for this special conversation with Hammons as she reads her poems, tells her stories, and delves into the glimmers of hope that shine through even the darkest nights of the soul. Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

  8. Jul 6

    126: America’s First Bird Guy

    Have you ever wondered how birding in America truly began? You may have a few names in mind—people like Audubon or Wilson or Lewis and Clark. But have you ever heard of Mark Catesby? Patrick Dean joins us on the show today to chat about his new book Nature’s Messenger: Mark Catesby and His Adventures in a New World. This book was such a delightful discovery of the life of a naturalist pioneer in America in the early 1700s. From Catesby’s beginnings as English gentility to his landing in North Carolina in 1722 to his exploration of the natural world in what would come to be known as the American South, Dean’s book is a thorough, fascinating, and engaging read. It even has pirates! PLUS: we chat about why Dean believes the Ivory-billed Woodpecker might still be out there. I loved the book and this conversation, and I know you will, too! Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

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Stories, experts, and special guests on how birds help us keep looking up. courtneyellis.substack.com

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