What do moths have to do with owls? Just ask Mat Seidensticker. After nearly a decade spent studying owls across Montana and Alaska, Seidensticker focused his research on the flammulated owl, one of Montana’s smallest and most cryptic species. Soon, it became impossible for him to ignore the moths—insects that this owl hunts extensively during the summer.

This story is about moths in Montana, but it’s also about moths in ecosystems anywhere: a celebration of their importance and diversity, an invitation to learn.

As usual, it includes lots of ambient sound recordings that I made, all of these ones in Montana: flammulated owl, common poorwill (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii), common nighthawk (Chordeiles minor), tree crickets (Oecanthus sp.), aspen (Populus tremuloides) rustling in the wind, Swainson’s thrush (Catharus ustulatus), white-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis), Cassin’s finch (Haemorhous cassinii), and black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus).

I depend on the support of my listeners to continue doing this work. Please share these podcasts, leave a rating, and, if you’re able, support me through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wildwithnature. Thank you!!!

You can find the written, illustrated version of this story here: https://wildwithnature.com/2025/02/01/why-moths-matter/
To learn more about the Montana Moth Project, go to https://www.montanamothproject.org/.

¿Qué tienen las polillas que ver con los búhos? Pregúntale a Mat Seidensticker. Después de pasar casi una década estudiando búhos a través de Montana y Alaska, EU, Seidensticker enfocó sus investigaciones en una de las especies de búhos más crípticas y pequeñas que existe en Montana, el tecolote ojos oscuros (Psiloscops flammeolus). Pronto resultó imposible ignorar las polillas—unos insectos que este tecolote caza extensamente durante el verano.

Esta historia tiene que ver con las polillas de Montana, Estados Unidos, pero también se trata de las polillas en todos los ecosistemas de nuestro planeta: una celebración de su importancia y diversidad, una invitación a aprender.

Como siempre, incluye muchas grabaciones que hice de los sonidos de la naturaleza, esta vez todas en Montana: tecolote ojos oscuros, tapacaminos pandeagua (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii), chotacabras zumbón (Chordeiles minor), grillos de árbol (Oecanthus sp.), el sonido del álamo temblón (Populus tremuloides) en el viento, zorzal de anteojos (Catharus ustulatus), bajopalos pecho blanco (Sitta carolinensis), pinzón serrano (Haemorhous cassinii) y carbonero cabecinegro (Poecile atricapillus).

Dependo del apoyo de mis oyentes para seguir con este proyecto. Favor de compartir estos podcasts, darme un rating y (si puedes) hacer una cooperación a través de Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wildwithnature. ¡Muchas gracias!

Aquí puedes ver la versión escrita de esta historia, con mis fotos: https://wildwithnature.com/2025/02/01/por-que-importan-las-polillas/
Para aprender más sobre el Montana Moth Project, ve a https://www.montanamothproject.org/.

A simple whistle, ascending at the end, easy to imitate. It's the hour when the light departs, converting the trees into silhouettes, and the evening blue leaves the slopes of the Cerro Islá. The months of study crystallize in an instant and I'm almost running, the whistle calling me onwards, passing the milpa and the nopales, the starfruit and the cempasúchil, the beloved garden of grandfather Teo, passing the mangos, entering the jungle. The crickets are the voice of the approaching night, this whistle the mystery of the twilight.

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This is a story of the birds of the evening, of sustainable agriculture and biodiversity. From the bird life at the edge of a milpa—a traditional Mexican system of growing food in biologically diverse, small-scale plots—to the massive wheat fields of Montana and memories of an orchard from my childhood, this story invites us to consider how our food systems can support or harm the ecosystems we love.

Most of the ambient sounds in this story are ones I recorded in Oaxaca, Mexico in December 2024: crickets in the night, a thicket tinamou (Crypturellus cinnamomeus), Middle American screech-owl (Megascops guatemalae), collared forest-falcon (Micrastur semitorquatus), mottled owl (Strix virgata), and common pauraque (Nyctidromus albicollis). From Montana, USA, I share a recording I made in April 2024 of a pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus).

If you’d like to delve more into sustainable agriculture and biodiversity, I’ve shared several links with the written form of the story. In particular, I recommend Lorna Milne’s poignant and deeply personal essay “Losing Ty” (https://www.lornamilne.com/losing-ty), and Luke Hingtgen’s review of the inspiring book The Third Plate (https://edgeeffects.net/third-plate/).

I depend on the support of my listeners to continue doing this work. Please share these podcasts, leave a rating, and, if you’re able, support me through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wildwithnature. Thank you!!!

You can find the written, illustrated version of this story here: https://wildwithnature.com/2025/01/01/mystery-of-the-twilight/