Laura Erickson's For the Birds

Birding has always been uniquely dangerous for Black people. It’s time white birders started listening, and taking responsibility for making the birding community and our nation safer for everyone.

Even hunkering at home, Laura is still having fun, right now with hummingbirds and orioles. She also answers the question, should we offer jelly?

Good news about Piping Plovers on the Great Lakes and in Maine!

Our Endangered Species Act is itself endangered, which bodes ill for the Golden-winged Warbler and many other species.

Reports about a Hayward robin nest are filling Laura with joy and hope.

Laura has been keeping track of her birds even when she’s sleeping or working indoors.

In 1991, Laura made a charmingly frustrating discovery about baby Blue Jays.

As much as Laura likes cowbirds, she thinks it’s best not to subsidize them with food. She explains why.

Sarah Caldwell, who listens to this program on WDRT, asked Laura to talk about a fascinating bird, the Brown-headed Cowbird .

Laura brings us up to date on the Peabody Street bird activity and relates some stories she received via email from New Hampshire and Excelsior, Minnesota.

Laura just unearthed the transcript of a program from 1995 about her education Blue Jay, Sneakers, when she discovered Mexican jumping beans.

Today is the 85th anniversary of the day Margaret Morse Nice followed a Song Sparrow over an entire 24-hour period, counting every one of the 2,305 songs he sang and recording every one of his behaviors.

Whatever happened about the 450-foot guyed, lighted cell phone tower AT&T wanted to build at the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness?

Laura fields questions about disappearing chickadees and other birds and about a bird who has been drumming on a basketball backboard right outside a weary but curious listener’s window.

Backyard birding is providing lots of new birds right now.

Kadi Franson asked Laura Erickson to do a program about checking our own sense of curiosity and wonder with what birds need.

Laura’s been photographing and recording her backyard birds.

Laura talks about two birds passing through the Northland right this very moment.

Laura tells the completely fictitious (but it could be true, maybe) story of a baby nighthawk and a baby Blue Jay.

Lots of new birds are showing up on Peabody Street. (Photo here is by Brad Snelling)

What’s the difference between spirit and soul, and why do birds so perfectly embody both?

Laura had the perfect visitor this week to help her celebrate Earth Day.

One particular Brown Creeper, who visited the school Laura was teaching at in 1977, became her Best Bird EVER.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service managed to sneak in a proposal to open a hunting season on swans in the Central, Mississippi, and Atlantic flyways (including Minnesota and Wisconsin). The deadline for comments is TODAY, Monday, April 20, at 10:59 p,m. CDT.

KAXE listener Polly Edington saw a new bird this week, a Brown Creeper. Laura tells us a little about this bird; she shares more information about it on her blog.

How are birds and other wildlife doing during the shutdown? (Ends with music)

Today Laura talks about the life history of Sandhill Cranes

Laura talks about a splendid bird, the Sandhill Crane. (Bonus program, Part II, will be available for tomorrow)

Laura and her children once worked out which bird was which character in Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. The hardest to figure out was Beth.

Laura may be hunkered down, safe at home right now, but she’s been learning a new skill—taking photos remotely.

Laura finally has dozens of birds in her yard!

Much of Laura’s life was shaped thanks to a single class she took in college.

How are Blue Jays helping people with social distancing? A word from Jim Baker of Baker’s Blue Jay Barn (Up the Shore a Ways) and the California Ravens, too.

Del Stubbs and Celine Thouin of Pinewood, Minnesota, share a fascinating story, with photos on Laura’s blog, about a swarm of bees, and Laura brings us up to date on spring migration.

The value of living things cannot be measured in dollars.

Laura talks about how chickadees are brightening the days of many people during these hard times, and KAXE listener Polly Edington shared her exciting up-close and personal encounters with her backyard chickadees.

How do we fill the hours when we’re stuck at home? Laura is trying to appeal to the better angels of her nature.

People are not following social distancing rules right now, putting all of us at risk

Laura’s been looking at wildlife in her own backyard, and hearing about what others are seeing.

On Monday, Laura had a fun birding experience just a couple of blocks from home.

Laura and Dr. Peter Crosson have tips for social distancing when getting out birding.

Hunkering down during a pandemic, nature can still provide balm for our soul.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed a new regulation requiring that in the future, every Federal Duck Stamp depict an element of hunting rather than allowing art depicting wild ducks in natural habitat. Laura says, “Just say no!” Why?

(This program must air by March 16, 2020.)

Marge Gibson of the Raptor Education Group, Inc. in Antigo, Wisconsin, has been dealing with some heartbreaking situations lately.

Both the Minnesota and Wisconsin DNRs have TIP lines if you have any information on the shooting of native/protected wildlife. You can remain anonymous, though providing your name can be helpful in the successful prosecution of offenders.

Minnesota Turn in Poachers (TIP): 800-652-9093.
Wisconsin DNR Hotline 1-800-TIP-WDNR or 1-800-847-9367.

Laura started birdwatching, and birding, 45 years ago today.

Laura saw a Boreal Owl in the Bog last week, calling to mind the most special Boreal Owl of all.

Laura’s back birding at pretty much full speed thanks to cardiac rehab.

Laura can’t end a series of programs about starlings without mentioning Mozart.

Laura received a fascinating email from Timothy Flannery, who is just as fascinated with starlings as Laura is.

Thirty years ago, Laura and her family had a pet starling named Mortimer. How did that come about, and why is she suddenly thinking about him again?

One of Laura’s listeners, named Beth, was recently in the hospital for a ruptured appendix, leading Laura to think about bird digestion.

KAXE listener Phil Shore told Laura about the pleasure that his mother Marie, staying in a nursing facility near St. Louis, gets from looking out at birds.

Bemidji listener Jack Shelton shared an interesting experience with a Great-tailed Grackle in Nicaragua.

Laura and Russ found one superb owl this Sunday, and also found themselves in the same scenario as a character in the movie Airplane!

The Great Gray Owl Laura talked about last week came to a tragic end.

Laura uses her computer’s screen saver folder to conjure photos at random that remind her of everything she loves.

Laura spent time yesterday, up close and personal, with a magnificent owl that found itself in urban Duluth.

Laura spent a bit of time with a Northern Shrike at the bog Sunday.

Laura was thrilled to see her twelfth owl species in St. Louis County this weekend. But then… the Barn Owl died.

Laura is sitting around counting minutes and watching chickadees.

Do we as individuals need to mitigate the damage we do?