Laura Erickson's For the Birds

Laura continues her long-standing holiday tradition by reading a children’s Christmas story.

Swallows may not bury themselves in mud, but at least one species of bird really hibernates for the winter.

Why don’t birds get frostbite? 4:30

Why don’t woodpeckers get a headache when they slam their face into a tree? (3:54)

Today Laura Erickson talks about a fancy, long-tailed crow, the magpie. (3:44)

When Laura heard from a listener with a Varied Thrush at his feeder, it reminded Laura of the one in her yard last year. (recast from 10/26/92) (date confirmed) 4:11

What’s black and white and loony all over? (3:59)

In her continuing effort to bring us the inside story in the world of birds, Laura proves herself a very gutsy woman. (3:27) Date confirmed

To honor Mark Twain on his birthday, today Laura reads his entire short story, “Baker’s Blue Jay Yarn.” (10:23)

Today Laura reads a story about a wild goose chase from Sigurd Olson’s book, The Singing Wilderness. (3:56)

What’s black and white and cheerful all over? 4:02

Today Laura enlists the aid of that avid Blue Jay admirer, Mark Twain, to discuss her favorite bird. 4:03

Do birds have a gall bladder? 3:40 (recast from 9-14-90) Date confirmed.

When a hungry hawk and a little chickadee come face to face, where do your sympathies lie? 3:36

How do you select a good field guide? 4:10

How do you select binoculars? 4:14

4:05 Maybe a rerun

4:12 maybe a rerun?

3:45 maybe a repeat

Whether a cat plays with a chickadee or a chickadee plays with a cat, it’s going to go bad for the chickadee. 4:10

The inside story about birds. By the way, Laura never euthanizes birds. She dissects only birds that were brought to her already dead. (4:01)

Today Laura talks about the bird that looks like a miniature Great Horned Owl. 3:51

Just because birds see farther than we do, hear better, swim faster, and find their way home more accurately doesn’t really mean they’re better than we are, does it? 2:59

So far this season most of the snowflakes that have appeared in the Northland have been of the avian variety. 3:08

You won’t find a White-breasted Nuthatch in Norway or Sweden, but Laura finds some interesting personality traits in common between nuthatches and Scandinavians. 3:49

Today we compare crows and ravens in language, intelligence, and even in appearance. 3:28

How do birds find their way without even an AAA map to guide them? 3:30

Is it true that a person has to wear dull clothing to approach close to birds? 3:19

Some fishy stories are for the birds. 3:24

Mid-air collisions between birds and airplanes is today’s topic. 3:45

Those little sparrows beneath Northland feeders aren’t all that hard to tell apart. 3:45

The loon may make a fine Minnesota state bird for spring and summer, but Laura has another idea for fall and winter. (3:32) Date confirmed.

From bird’s foot violets to pigeon toes, bird feet are more interesting than you might think. 4:13

Some geese have figured out how to elude hunters by moving into cities. (Date uncertain–taken from For the Birds: An Uncommon Guide while I was writing the book)

Whether contemplating video games or lawn ornaments, Laura’s observations are always for the birds. (3:32) Date confirmed.

Birds are migrating at a furious pace, and Laura is trying to keep track of them all. 3:24

Laura is one gutsy woman, and we mean that literally. 3:08 (Original script from 1993 amended for a new program–I include at the end but don’t know when it aired)

Why is Laura’s new book already obsolete? 3:33

When is it best to put an injured bird to sleep–and when is it better to let it live? 2:53

What is the best field guide to use for bird identification? 2:44

How crazy does life get in the home of a rehabilitator? 2:32 (Date verified)

When Laura’s house gets broken into, it isn’t always a matter for the police. 3:59 (Date verified)

When Laura got a phone call from the state patrol, she knew there were exciting times ahead. 2:51

Laura and her kids are reading Little Women, and figuring out which birds each of the March girls would be. Beth was the trickiest of all until they discovered the perfect choice. 4:02

Laura puts on her forensic pathologist hat today to piece together a murder mystery involving a duck, and loon, and a fishy motive. The butler didn’t do it. 3:38

Hummingbirds are smarter than you might think. 3:13

Look before they’re gone—nighthawks are migrating through the Northland. Their evening flights are one of the ephemeral joys of late summer. 3:19

There’s no greater miracle in the bird world than hummingbird migration. 1:59

When little birds migrate through the Northland, little hawks are hot on their trails. 1:47

Today marks the anniversary of the death of the very last Passenger Pigeon in the world. 2:39

Some birds are famous for catching fish for human consumption.

Today Laura brings us back to a time when “a little bird told me” was more than just an expression of speech. 3:06

Today Laura talks about the dainty “sea swallow.” 2:11

Who’s the perkiest bird in the land? 2:10

Now that we’re at the height of summer, what birds are flitting about the Northland? 2:14

Meek little Cedar Waxwings don’t have much in common with feisty Eastern Kingbirds—or do they? 2:07

What’s black and white and bred all over (well, at least all over the north woods)? 2:05

Some birds are actually poisonous. 2:05

When a three-ounce mother Blue Jay takes on a hundred-and-eighty-pound person, who should you put your money on? 2:11

When a little girl found a baby robin suffering from rickets, Laura discovered just how tricky bird rehabilitation can be. 3:16

Today Laura tells the origins of some more bird names. 1:50

Today is the birthday of Laura’s favorite etymologist. 1:57

Laura’s favorite babies are scrawny, ugly little bug eaters, but they grow out of that awkward stage in a couple of weeks. 2:04

Today Laura takes us along as she moseys along on a walk through her favorite northland haunt. 2:08

Laura Erickson’s favorite musicians never charge admission, but you have to get up pretty early in the morning to enjoy their concerts. 2:08

Orphaned baby birds turn up here and there this time of year, keeping Laura’s hands full. 3:56

It’s that time of year when ornithologists throughout the continent survey breeding birds to see how healthy their populations are, and Laura is out there with them.

For some people, meadows and pastures are nothing but fields to drive past quickly en route to more attractive scenery, but an ordinary pasture holds some of Laura’s favorite birds. 2:23

How much of an imagination does it take to hear a Bobolink sing Bobolink, Bobolink, Spink, Spank, Spink? 3:28

Not many ornithologists celebrate the birthday of the man who created Bartlett’s Quotations. 2:16

There are two kinds of baby birds. Altricial chicks are the ones that only a mother could love. 2:07

There are two kinds of baby birds. Precocial chicks are the cute and fuzzy ones. 2:07

Today marks the birthday of the most famous duck in the world. 2:03

The Promethean torch of the bird world. 3:26

Sometimes birds capitalize on other species in most unusual ways. 2:05

People have been calling Laura about beautiful little blue finches turning up at their feeders. 2:13

Many warblers are named inaccurately—today Laura talks about one of her favorites. 2:15

What’s the littlest, feistiest of all northland birds? 1:57

What is life like inside an egg? 2:11

Laura was egged on to talk about eggs. 1:58

What is Laura’s favorite warbler? 2:09

Today marks the birthday of Rachel Carson. 2:10

Is our relationship with the wild one of give and take, or simply take? 2:12

Intruding on nesting Canada Geese doesn’t have to alarm the birds. 2:00

One of Laura’s annual rituals is counting Mourning Doves for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2:15

Firebirds are few and far between nowadays, and a glimpse at one provides a moment to be treasured. 1:58

Peabody birds are back in the northland. 2:00

The finest singers in the north woods are Hermit Thrushes and Winter Wrens. 2:05

Birds do it, bees do it, even tiny chickadees do it, and Laura tells how. 2:07

Loon music is brightening lakes all over the north woods. 1:59

The lengths some people will go to just to see a bird. 1:59

We may not get mockingbirds in the northland, but we do get the next best thing. 2:02

The Nashville Warbler is one of the first warblers to return to the north woods. 1:52

Today marks an anniversary that few people remember. 2:13

Laura’s comments on Mother’s Day are a bit unconventional—actually, they’re for the birds. 2:11

This is the time to set out oranges to attract Baltimore Orioles. 1:55

What does the tropical Fork-tailed Flycatcher have to do with Elvis Presley? 2:16

Today we learn about a modern Tyrannosaurus rex: Tyrannus tyrannus. 2:15

How do birders keep entertained when stuck in meetings in spring? 2:05

Migration is really under way now, and birds are everywhere. 2:06

Migration is hot and heavy now, and Laura tells us about some of the birds in the north woods. 2:00

When buffalo birds left the prairie to strike out on their own, the trouble began for forest songbirds. 2:14

Back when bison roamed through the American prairie, buffalo birds roamed with them. 2:12

Today Laura addresses a serious question: Do birds or don’t birds yawn? 2:15 . (Real transcript is probably shorter)

Cormorants are back in the northland, diving for fish and then hanging their wings out to dry. 2:10

Today Laura talks about the Huck Finn of the natural world. 2:05

Not all birds believe in traditional family values. 2:06

One bird that weighs less than three thin dimes has an enormous presence. 2:10

Not everything that sounds like a bird is really a bird. 1:50

Tree sparrows are at feeders again, meaning spring is really here. 2:09

Although much about migration is still a mystery to ornithologists, they do know some things. 2:01

What kinds of economic systems do birds have? 2:05

How did people first discover that birds migrate? 1:51

This is the time of year to enjoy the woodcock’s evening sky dance. 2:29

Great Blue Herons are proof that spring is really here. 2:17

Does an animal really need a nose to smell? 2:09

Now that spring is supposedly here, some people wonder whether it’s time to bring in their bird feeders for the year. 1:56

Greek goddesses and satellites of distant planets are nothing to earth’s own little Phoebe. 2:10

The first Killdeer of the year are showing up in Northland marshes. 2:07

A few Jenny Wrens are back in the Northland. 2:07

April isn’t an easy month even if you don’t have to pay taxes. 1:57

Today Laura talks about the rarest bird in the world. 2:21

Why is bad weather in early spring so hard on birds? 1:59

Why do geese migrate in a ‘V’? 1:48

The first spring migrants are starting to appear, and one of the tiniest is the Ruby-crowned Kinglet. 2:01

Today Laura talks about the game bird that isn’t a game bird. 1:57

Some listeners already have robins back in the northland. 2:08

The cheerful songs of bluebirds will soon be heard in the Northland. 2:03

Today Laura talks about the little toddlers of the bird world. 1:56

Every spring, macho Mallards strut their stuff. 2:06

How do birds know when it’s time to migrate? 2:06

The rock group Chicago may not really know what time it is, but birds do. 1:46

It’s time to set out bird houses. 2:04

Laura commemorates the anniversary of the starling’s introduction to the Americas. 2:06

Why do the animated crows in Disney movies always have yellow or orange beaks? 2:04

One of the biggest disasters to befall birds was a storm that hit southern Minnesota and Iowa 89 years ago. 2:05

One of the oddest sightings in the world of birds is a gynandromorph—a bird literally half male and half female. 2:08

Why is Laura so fond of Bohemian Waxwings? 2:09

How rare are albino birds? 2:06

How do birds keep their weight down so they can fly? 2:08

How do YOU say ‘pileated’? 2:08

How do you identify the most common owls? 1:56

You can have every confidence that spring will come—in at least two or three months. 1:48

A Merlin, a speedy little falcon, is terrorizing the birds on Peabody Street. 1:52

Snowbirds are back in town. 1:54

What do our birds do on their “vacation” in the tropics? 2:03

What diseases do birds get? 2:35

Even stuck indoors watching television, you can watch birds. 1:54

How stupid is a bird brain? 1:59

Somebody thinks spring is on its way. 1:56

Dusk brings Ruffed Grouse to some bird feeders. 2:15

Even in the most dismal winters, chickadees can cheer us like nothing else. 1:59

Today Laura talks about the finest snow angels on earth. 2:05

Why do so many cultures believe that owls portend death? 2:05

Laura’s idea of Valentine’s Day hearts are not quite what Hallmark imagined. 2:15

To honor Honest Abe, let’s think about a bird that wasn’t named for him, Lincoln’s Sparrow. 2:05

Last week’s warm weather got Laura daydreaming about flamingos. 2:10

Despite what Disney cartoons show, birds don’t like cozying up together. 2:02

Laura recounts the day she saw her first Boreal Owl. 1:59

Snow flakes delight northland skiers and birders. 1:58

What suggestions does Laura have for rehabbers? 2:38

What are bird rehabbers taking care of these days? 2:19

How do you tell Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers apart? 1:50

birding leaders are never wise to guarantee that they can show someone a rare bird. 1:57

February is the shortest month. Or is it? 2:08

Where does the down in down jackets come from? 1:53

A flock of goldeneyes on a frosty morning is a fine sight. 1:55

Did a raven really help the prophet Elijah? 2:04

If you hear a chickadee that sounds like it has a terminal disease, don’t be too hasty to call a doctor. 1:50

Do you want to know why they call the shrike the butcher bird? 2:00

How do birds drink when all the water is frozen? 1:56

Today Laura gives us tips for feeding birds in winter. 1:47 (Dates shifted this week)

A little girl called Laura needing help with an owl (1:48) (This week’s dates are shifted)

Today Laura takes us on a wild grouse chase. (Date shifted this week)

Three of the most abundant birds in North America were not even here when Columbus landed. (this week’s programs shifted by one day) 1:50

Come along on a walk through the winter woods.

Some of the pigeons flying over towns right now may be descendants of war heroes.

The little street urchins of the bird world.

Listen to some of the sounds of January days.

Today Laura talks about the Charlie Chaplin of the bird world.

Today we’re thinking about whiskey jacks.

Why is the hawk owl Laura’s favorite owl?

Why do Blue Jays and cardinals have crests?

Why do they say “naked as a jaybird”?

Most nighthawks are basking in the sun in Brazil right now, so what are four doing in Duluth?

It’s high time we gave the New Years Baby a break and picked a different symbol for the coming year.