Laura Erickson's For the Birds

Today Laura Erickson celebrates the bird poetry of Emily Dickinson. (3:54) Date verified.

For last minute shoppers, Laura Erickson has compiled a list of gift suggestions that is definitely for the birds. 3:17

Today’s For the Birds is about one of the greediest birds at Northland feeders. (4:30) Date verified.

Laura goes on line for the first time. (3:22) Date verified.

When Laura Erickson gets hit on the head, she sees birds. (4:11) Date verified. A later program about window collisions was modified from this one.

November is the month when eagles fill the Northland sky. (3:51) Date verified.

What happened to the baby squirrel Laura was raising this fall? (3:58) (Date Verified)

Today Laura talks about the life and death of a spruce tree. (4:25)

Laura received a hilarious letter from a listener about wild laughter.

(Year is right. Repeated with minor changes in Sept 1997.)

As Laura approaches her 45th birthday, she’s growing impatient to go to far away places. (date confirmed on transcript)

Do parrots deserve to lead lives as pets?

Laura is preparing for Halloween, and thinking about owls and ravens. (3:38) Date verified.

Today Laura Erickson talks about Sneakers the Blue Jay’s narrow escape in a house fire. (4:23) Date confirmed.

What birds are flying along Lake Superior? Laura Erickson tells us what’s new at the Lakewood Pumping Station. 4:23 (date verified)

Today Laura Erickson talks about the “Birds in Art” exhibit at the Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin. (4:06) Date confirmed.

What people wear to protect our bodies in sports pales to what bird bodies have, built-in. (Correction: birds get spinal injuries, but don’t “break their neck” in collisions.)

When four American Kestrels ganged up on a lone little bat, Laura Erickson was on hand to witness the drama. 3:47 (Date confirmed)

Today Laura Erickson talks about the hows and whys of fall migration. 3:44

What do the Chicago Cubs and migrating birds have in common? Find out on today’s For the Birds. 4:11

Today Laura Erickson reviews Thomas Moore’s new book, The Re-enchantment of Everyday Life. 3:54

Today Laura Erickson looks at a common feeder visitor, or intruder, depending on your point of view. The recording used is of a red squirrel, not a gray squirrel. (3:41) Date confirmed.

September 13-15 is Hawk Ridge Weekend in Duluth. Laura Erickson talks about this annual rite of passage on today’s For the Birds. (3:41) Date confirmed

Laura is taking care of a nighthawk infected with hookworms, and hoping it will be ready for release while it can join other migrating nighthawks.

Some people don’t have to work on Labor Day. When Laura Erickson is counting hawks, is she ever working? (3:54) Date confirmed

Today Laura Erickson talks about the man who made birdwatching what it is today. (4:46) Date verified.

When Eastern Kingbirds try to lord it over eagles and airplanes, it’s easy to see how they got their name. 3:26

Laura talks about some adaptations birds have that she wishes she did.

Laura Erickson is taking care of a paralyzed baby jay, and circumstantial evidence leads her to believe that lawn sprays are the cause. 3:11

If you’re having problems with a pesky chipmunk, Laura Erickson trusts that you won’t resort to rat poison. 3:16

When a hurt baby pigeon came to Laura Erickson’s, she suddenly found herself with a permanent pet. (3:57) (this script was modified to be replayed some time in 1998–the modified script follows the original. I’ll delete when I find the right date to plug it in.)

A pair of baby nuthatches reminds Laura Erickson of how important it is to leave nest trees alone in summer. 3:52

The prettiest glutton in the bird world is Laura Erickson’s favorite bird of summer. 4:01

Today Laura Erickson tells the story of Archimedes, the baby saw-whet owl. 4:12

Why would anyone throw a healthy Pied-billed Grebe into a trash can? The answer is unknowable, but fortunately a kid saw it and got help.

From Mourning Warblers to winnowing snipe, Laura Erickson’s been seeing a lot more since getting her new spotting scope. 3:44

Today Laura Erickson talks about a warbler that looks like a miniature oriole.

Today Laura Erickson talks about a vivid orange bird named for Lord Baltimore. 3:44 (Reworked from May 12, 1995)

Baby ducks and Killdeer need a completely different kind of care than baby songbirds. Today Laura Erickson brings National Baby Bird Week to a close with some hints about what to do if you find one of these fluffy chicks. 3:21

How can you keep a baby songbird alive until you can find a rehabber? 4:07

Laura Erickson has declared this National Baby Bird Week. All week she’ll be providing information about what to do when you find a baby bird. 4:16

What do Cadbury Creme Eggs have to do with warblers? Find out on today’s For the Birds.

Today Laura Erickson gives some hints for successful spring feeders. (3:23) Date confirmed.

Laura defrosts a mouse every single night for her education screech owl Archimedes. (This was a red-phase screech owl that Laura had before she got the gray one that she had for 17 years.)

Sometimes a hopeless case turns out happily. 4:14 (Date verified)

What’s the best gift for a returning warbler or oriole? 4:04

Laura Erickson set out to see a Sage Grouse and ended up finding Mae West and Robert Frost. 3:57

Today Laura Erickson talks about her quest to see the elusive Sage Grouse. 4:14

Today Laura Erickson talks about how she’s spending her family’s discretionary income for 1996. (4:18) Date verified.

Today Laura Erickson talks about a children’s book that she thinks should be required reading for everyone on Earth Day. 3:59

Today Laura Erickson talks about a tree that gets better the older it grows. (3:38) Date verified.

Today Laura Erickson talks about planning a trip to Colorado. (3:37) Date verified.

Spring is here—Laura Erickson has definite proof. (3:54) Date verified.

Signs of spring are bringing hope and joy right when we need it. (3:20) Date verified.

How can we empathize with both mouse and owl? (4:10) Date verified.

Birds aren’t as stupid as we think. Date confirmed.

What’s wrong with attributing human qualities to birds? Maybe nothing. (3:46) Date confirmed.

Today Laura Erickson talks about how birds perceive the world—pretty much the way we humans do. (3:26) Date confirmed.

If you’ve ever watched The McLaughlin Group, you won’t want to miss today’s For the Birds. 4:30

Two tiny signs of spring are the subject of today’s For the Birds. 3:17

Today Laura Erickson talks about the difficulties Sandhill Cranes faced during this cold spring. 4:13

March 26 is Robert Frost’s birthday. Laura Erickson talks about some of his bird poems on today’s For the Birds. 4:08

Today Laura Erickson talks about the winter of ‘96 and its devastating effect on owls. 4:03

The first day of spring may be more hopeful for humans than for birds. 4:12

Today Laura Erickson talks about a national treasure 4:08

How many is a bazillion? Laura Erickson tries to figure it out on today’s For the Birds. 3:55 Date verified.

How do birders know where all the good birds are? Laura Erickson describes some of the books that tell birders where to go.

Today Laura Erickson talks about a hungry owl and the mouse that got away. (4:06) Date verified.

It’s National Bird-Feeding Month! (3:57) (Recast on February 10 or 21, 2000.)

Why is it so important to exclude starlings and sparrows from bird boxes? (Program should be 4:01)

Laura Erickson has uncovered some disquieting news about Snoopy’s pal Woodstock. (3:15) Date verified.

Today Laura Erickson pays tribute to a squirrel named Chuckie. 4:09

Today Laura Erickson gives advice to aspiring elementary school writers about making their reports come alive. (3:51) Date verified.

Today Laura Erickson talks about a magical encounter with a Hawk Owl. 3:50

Laura Erickson talks about her own special valentine today. (4:08) Date verified.

Laura Erickson’s concerns about highway speed limits are for the birds. 3:46

Laura Erickson doesn’t normally tell people which books not to buy, but today she makes an exception. 4:02

Today Laura Erickson talks about a peculiar Downy Woodpecker. 3:32

Birders (except Laura) are starting to get their bird sighting information from the Internet, including keeping track of two Gyrfalcons hanging around in the Duluth area this winter. 3:49

If you really believe groundhogs can predict the weather, you might not want to hear what Laura Erickson has to say today. (3:22) Date verified.

Birdwatchers aren’t the only ones looking for Spruce Grouse these days, but when Laura Erickson came upon a stranger also searching for them she thought he might be more interested in eating one than adding it to a bird list. (This recounts the very first time Laura ever saw a wild wolf.) 4:21

Laura went searching for owls with her 11-year-old friend, Mariah. 3:55

Today Laura Erickson talks about a mystery puzzling ornithologists and birders in Duluth this winter. 3:05