Laura Erickson's For the Birds

Laura can’t think of anything bad to say about a Pine Grosbeak. She recounts the magical time she saw her first one.

Laura has a novel theory about how rare birds materialize here and there, and disappear without a trace.

Are people superior to birds?

Emily Dickinson paid as close attention to her backyard birds as the finest birders today.

Not sure (3:48)

Identifying our two most common woodpeckers.

White-breasted Nuthatch (4:01)

Birds are disappearing. Why? (4:00)

Weird weather is sending birds to unusual places.

Laura thinks Blue Jays played a practical joke on people.

In Ohio, this year’s ballot included a referendum about whether the state should rescind its Mourning Dove hunt. The initiative lost.

A Green Violetear turned up at a feeder in La Crosse in October. It was suffering from hypothermia, so was sent to Marge Gibson.

Alma, Wisconsin, is the place to go to see swans, even in an El Nino year.

Most robins have left by now, but some robins lag behind for us to enjoy.

Laura talks about the fierce little butcher bird.

October 20 was a perfect fall day for Laura and Photon to head up to Hawk Ridge.

Laura doesn’t particularly like the lovely Stokes Field Guide to Birds for several reasons.

Laura thoroughly enjoyed Dave Barry’s newest book, and even managed to find a good bird reference.

A few birds still break into song, but many others at least make a few sounds.

Apples draw people and birds both.

October conjures spooky images, but one of the best mysteries is how Saw-whet Owls pass through in such big numbers yet so unnoticed. (This is a very old program. Frank Nicoletti, who runs Hawk Ridge’s current banding station, has trapped thousands of Saw-whets since this program aired in the late 90s.)

Politics is way too complicated for Laura—she prefers sticking to birds.

When Laura took in a baby pigeon for rehab, she became a family pet, even when she turned out to be a boy.

Laura talks about the new iMax movie, Everest, and Jon Krakauer’s book, Into Thin Air, focusing on an uncredited player, the Alpine Chough, and other birds that survive at high altitudes.

Feelings stirred in autumn seem the most complex. (This program was re-adapted for a program for September 2002 and again October 2017)

Laura considers how powerful storms affect birds, and how hard it is for birds blown off-course.

Laura talks about a warbler that looks entirely different in fall than in spring.

In Toronto, people are trying to protect birds from colliding with buildings at night.

El Nino seems to be sending lots of birds our way. Laura’s especially happy to see kestrels.

How much do our entanglements with others strengthen or tear away at our souls?

American Redstarts are filling Laura’s eyes, and her soul, with joy and beauty. (Date verified)

Reworked from 1988 or so. (I think but am not sure this is the one I repeated 9/20/2002)

The only thing funner than watching puppy socialization class is watching nighthawk migration.

Laura’s little dog is consumed with studying the ants in an anthill; so far she hasn’t discovered birds nor the baby foxes in the neighborhood.

Laura’s time with Gepetto came to an end, leaving her with lots of memories of just how Pileated Woodpeckers learn how to find food and deal with other Pileateds.

The baby Pileated Woodpecker Laura is caring for has had some interesting experiences with two other Pileated Woodpeckers in the Boundary Waters.

Laura just received a baby Pileated Woodpecker for rehab.

A corvid with a spectacularly long tail once had a bounty on it!

Rare sightings of a bird that belongs further south can be thrilling. (reworked from 6-23-95)

Laura treasures Ovenbirds, who sing like Linda Ronstadt. (Date is not definite, but month and year are.)

Scientists have learned that male Adelie Penguins pay females for sex, using stones as currency.

How are bird bodies designed for flight? It’s a lot more complicated than just wings. 3:53

Old bird books can be a treasure of bird lore. 3:30

The kind of eyeglasses you wear can affect how well your binoculars work. 4:07

Here are some accounts of birds that are stranger than fiction. (3:33)

What’s the point of keeping lists? (4:20)

When is it justifiable to do research on animals? 3:33

The Chinese and Japanese art of cormorant fishing is a colorful ancient tradition. 3:15

How do bird feathers keep them warm? 3:42

If you thought birds were romantic, think again. (3:37) Recast from 2-22-95. Date confirmed.

Some bird names are for the birds. (3:34) Date verified.

This program is all about bird feet. (4:15) (Date confirmed. Recast from 9-2-92 and sometime in 9-99)

Why is it that birders are so willing to drive hundreds of miles to see a single bird?

When is it right to decide to euthanize an injured bird? Laura’s children and a Sora taught her a lesson. (Date is certain)

Birds have a wide range of different systems of family values.

Crossbills have beaks like crooked scissors. Why?

White-breasted Nuthatches seem rather cranky, even as they gobble down food.

Laura slightly rewrote this program that originally aired in 1996. A ritual of eating a brownie every time you see an owl can eventually result in plump birders. (I THINK this is the one that was repeated on 1999-02-23)

How do birds protect themselves from frostbite? And why are Mourning Doves so vulnerable? (4:33)

How did starlings come to America? And how have they affected the American economy? (3:55)

On a cold winter day, it’s fine to think badk to warmer times and more tropical birds. (3:23)

The rarest bird to appear to my group on Duluth’s Christmas Bird Count was a Townsend’s Solitaire. (4:08)

A Northland winter experience too tough for Will Steger? That’s the Isabella Christmas Bird Count. 3:55