S6E37: Ken in Western Panama

S6E37: Ken in Western Panama

Author: Ken Behrens & Charley Hesse April 12, 2026 Duration: 1:10:37

The final installment of our Panama series. Ken tells Charley about his western Panama adventure. How did Ken manage to miss all the brushfinches yet find all the quail-doves?! How was his climb up Panama's highest mountain?


Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding: https://www.tropicalbirding.com/


If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page: https://patreon.com/naturallyadventurous?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_link


​Support the Podcast While You Travel

​Planning a trip? If you book your hotels, flights, or rentals through the following links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It’s an easy way to help us keep the show running!

🌏 BOOKING https://booking.stay22.com/naturallyadventurouspodcast/s3d4hFBa7P

🌏 EXPEDIA

https://expedia.stay22.com/naturallyadventurouspodcast/5qml7jv5nm

🌏 AGODA

https://agoda.stay22.com/naturallyadventurouspodcast/ymFFQoOmep

🌏 GET YOUR GUIDE https://getyourguide.stay22.com/naturallyadventurouspodcast/QbZzqQMGJz


Intro by Jenna Pinchbeck https://www.jennapinchbeck.com/ Jennapinchbeck@gmail.com. Theme music by John Behrens https://nashvilleaudioproductions.com/Feel free to contact us at: ken.behrens@gmail.com &/or cfchesse@gmail.com


Pheasant Cuckoo recording courtesy of Scott Olmstead, XC1035981. Accessible at https://xeno-canto.org/1035981. License Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0

Naturally Adventurous Podcast

Nature - Travel - Adventure - Birding


There’s a particular kind of curiosity that pulls you off the beaten path, toward the rustle in the undergrowth or the call from a distant canopy. Naturally Adventurous is built on that impulse, hosted by two guides who have followed it across continents. Ken Behrens and Charley Hesse aren’t just passing through; they’ve built lives in the remote corners where they’ve settled, from Madagascar to Thailand, Ecuador to South Africa. Their conversations are less like formal interviews and more like the stories swapped at the end of a long day in the field, rich with the details of a lifelong obsession with birds and natural history. Each episode pulls you into the texture of a place-the sounds, the surprises, the occasional misadventures-that comes from seeking out wild creatures in wild landscapes. You’ll hear about the logistics of navigating a swamp, the thrill of an unexpected sighting, and the quieter reflections on how these journeys shape a perspective. This podcast is for anyone who feels that pull toward the untracked, offering a deeply personal and authentic audio postcard from the world’s most fascinating ecosystems, all through the experienced ears of two people who have made a life out of looking.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Naturally Adventurous
Podcast Episodes
S6E21: Oman Top 6 Highlights with Charley & Ken [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:59
Ken tells Charley about the top 6 experiences of his recent trip to the Arabian Peninsula country of Oman. CORRECTION / CLARIFICATION: Regarding Silverbills, the country of Saudi Arabia also has both Indian and African S…
S6E20: Rediscovering Lost Indian Birds with Harish Thangaraj [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:24
Charley talks with one of India's top birders, Harish Thangaraj, about some amazing rediscoveries he has made this yearJerdon's Courser recordings courtesy of P Jeganathan, XC294415. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/2944…
S6E19: New Britain with Charley & Ken [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:00
Charley tells Ken about his recent trip to the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea.Golden Masked-Owl recording courtesy of Charley Hesse.Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding: https://www.tro…
S6E18: Myanmar with Charlie Harcourt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:04
Ken chats with Charlie Harcourt about the country of Myanmar; it's biological and cultural riches, as well as its troubled history (and present). Charlie's organization for higher education access: https://www.myanmar-fo…
S6E17: Ken in Ecuador - Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:48
Ken tells Charley about the second half of his recent trip around northern Ecuador. It started with a wisdom tooth removal, but was all uphill from there! Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding: htt…
S6E16: Lebanon with Colin Conroy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:03
Charley chats with Colin Conroy about birding in Lebanon.Syrian Serin recording courtesy of Barry Edmonston, XC721507. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/721507. License Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlik…
S6E15: Indonesia with Charley & Ken [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:37
Charley and Ken chat about Indonesia, sitting in the Garuda lounge of Jakarta international airport, surrounded by clinking dishes and screaming kids (sorry about the abient noise).Sumatran Ground-Cuckoo recording courte…
S6E14: Ryan and Derek Sallmann - North American Top 5 Destinations [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:01
Ken chats with Ryan and Derek Sallmann about their top 5 North American birding destinations, how to start international travel, and more. These guys run the Badgerland Birding YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/ch…
S6E13: Ken in Ecuador - Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:48
Ken tells Charley about the first half of his recent trip around northern Ecuador. It was a sort of avian bioblitz around this incredibly diverse Tropical country! Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Bir…
NEWSFLASH: What's Happening in Madagascar?! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:01
Ken and Charley chat about what has happened in Madagascar in recent months: protests, the flight of the president, and the installation of a transitional regime. Is this a classic African coup? Is it dangerous to visit…