Laura Erickson's For the Birds

Laura Erickson has started a new webpage focused on the needs of older birders (littleoldladyintennisshoes.com). Today she talks about hearing aids.

Many publications put out headlines like “10 Places You Must Visit before You Die” or “20 Birds You Must See Before You Die!” After her heart attack, Laura decided bucket lists were not such a great idea.

Laura’s puppy Pip turns eleven months old this week–Laura’s had her since the first day of spring. How’s it going, birding with a fluffy little foo foo dog?

When the Beatles first released “When I’m Sixty-Four,” Laura wasn’t even 16 years old, and being that old seemed a long way off.

In late October, a Purple Gallinule was found injured in West Duluth and brought to the Wildwoods Rehabilitation Clinic. What was it doing so far from where it belongs?

How is Snowy Owl migration like an elephant? People studying different aspects of the owls’ movements are like blindfolded people feeling one part of an elephant and making guesses about the whole animal.

We know a lot more about Snowy Owl migration today than we did in the 1970s, but the more we learn, the more we realize we still don’t know.

Laura makes some comparisons to explain why Gray Jays could be considered the Black Labs of the bird world, and also explains some of the ways that they are different from dogs. UPDATE: The proper name for this bird is now the Canada Jay.

What made Laura Erickson fall in love with a nondescript bird whose song is often dismissed as monotonous?

Like several characters in literature, Laura spent a lot of time with a bird before she realized she was in love.

Not all apple snails are the same, and what’s good for Snail Kites isn’t necessarily good for the Florida Everglades.

Snail Kites are increasing in Florida, and Laura got to enjoy some up close and personal last month.

With this year’s migration, what kind of numbers are we talking about?

How this summer’s baby birds influenced this fall migration

Any bird worth savoring is worth saving.

Every fall, flickers gather along north woods dirt roads and in backyards on their journey south

Duluth’s Becca Mulenburg came upon a tragic scene in her yard, a squirrel feasting on an Evening Grosbeak. Laura talks about how hard it is for most of us to see bird tragedies, and reads Marianne Boruch’s poem, “Crushed Birds.”

Thanks to the little boy next door and his little digital camera, a baby squirrel was saved by its mother.

Laura and her big brother worked out how to enjoy the world of nature as children.

Laura has now traveled 6900 miles with her puppy Pip, and they’ve seen 198 species of birds together.

Laura has been keeping track of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet that sang every day throughout June near her house. She finally spotted a kinglet carrying food, confirming nesting!

More robins are nesting near Laura’s house this year than have nested there since the 1980s.

The continuing saga of Duluth’s downtown Peregrine Falcons.

Laura talks about the first individual Peregrine Falcons that nested in downtown Duluth, starting in 2003.

Although 50 percent of all birds that hit windows end up dying later from head trauma and other causes, one Red-eyed Vireo that hit a window at Laura’s house may well have beaten the odds.

Laura gives more information about window collisions, and gives tips about preventing them. (Make sure to check out the supplemental content URL for photos.)

Three birds were killed at Laura’s windows this spring–two at the smallest window on her house and one at a window with bird-protective tape.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service and USGS cancelled their annual Mourning Dove Call-Count Survey a couple of years ago. This year, they started a new survey, using a new protocol but 10 percent of the old routes. Laura is delighted.

Just a day after Laura saw the nest of her favorite chickadee, the babies were fledging. She was there to witness the last three leave the nest.

In late 2013, Laura noticed a chickadee with a deformed bill coming to her feeder. Later, she discovered that the bird also has a deformed foot. He didn’t attract a mate in 2014, but this year he has a mate and is nesting successfully. Laura spent time photographing the little family.

Laura talks about some special programs that have helped Piping and Snowy Plovers.

Laura talks about the plovers that breed in the Lower 48, and especially about some of the challenges facing Piping and Snowy Plovers.

On May 21, Laura and Pip set out to see as many species as they could in a single day.

David Sibley made a wonderful recording a chickadee’s heart rate, which he gave Laura permission to share. She talks about chickadee heart rates, and also has an update about one chickadee near and dear to her heart.

This weekend, Laura had a dramatic reminder of how our driving habits affect birds.

Laura and her plucky sidekick Pip the Birding Dog will be doing a low-key Big Day on Thursday to raise money for Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory. How is she preparing?

Billy Collins gave Laura permission to read his lovely poem, “Genius,” on the air.

Laura was keynote speaker at Kansas’s Wings N Wetlands birding festival last weekend. Great birds and a lifer rattlesnake (a Massasauga) and wonderful people made the weekend a success!

Many birders are up in arms regarding Jonathan Franzen’s April 6 article in the New Yorker, in which he said climate change is not the only urgent issue birds face, and expressed frustration that Audubon’s new climate change report minimized the importance of other problems for birds. Laura thinks people should be working together to help birds on all fronts.

What birds are showing up in Laura’s backyard right now?

Laura talks about how to provide quality backyard habitat for hummingbirds.

Laura talks about the safest ways to feed hummingbirds.

How are Laura’s digital hearing aids working so far with regard to hearing birds?

Laura Erickson has the inside story of how the popular TV series will end.

Laura is getting a new puppy today! How will she train her to be a good birding dog?

March 19, the Feast Day of St. Joseph, is traditionally the day the swallows return to the California Mission at San Juan Capistrano. Why are their numbers declining, and what is the significance?

Laura talks about some bird stories that went viral on the Internet recently, and tells her own story about a raven giving her a surprising gift.

What are eagles and crows eating when they’re walking out on the ice in late winter and early spring? Kelly Preheim sent Laura some astonishing photos.

Laura’s recent heart attack, along with some other disconcerting signs of her advancing age, have made her all the more grateful for birds and puppies.

March 2 marked the 40th anniversary of Laura becoming a birdwatcher. How is she starting her 5th decade of birding?

Last week a photo of a dress went viral, with people the world over debating whether it was white and gold or blue and black. Bird colors are a little more straightforward.

Are people really as smart as they’re cracked up to be?

Laura found an interesting way to spend the weekend when Friday the 13th and Valentine’s Day collided.

Laura talks about two species celebrating the lengthening days with different kinds of courtship.

Laura explains why, being a moseying introvert, she refuses to serve as a guide taking people to birds.

Laura spent a day in the Sax-Zim Bog.

eBird is a bird-listing program offered for free from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Laura has been using it sporadically since it started over a decade ago, but this year decided to commit herself to entering just about every bird she sees. How’s she doing?

Laura discusses recent research into auto-bird collisions. The magnitude of the kills is significantly higher than previously believed. The one way we can each make a difference is to change our driving habits.

A 2012 paper in Animal Behavior suggests that Western Scrub-Jays hold funerals for their dead. Is this possible or likely?

Laura recently traveled almost 1400 miles trying to find a rare bird.

When Laura was in New York City last month, she found herself within just 50 miles of two lifers.

Laura’s is planning to adopt a puppy on March 21, to be her new birding companion.