For the Birds Radio Program
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Christmas with Jim Baker (Original)
(Dec. 23, 1997)
This is the original airing of Christmas with Jim Baker; Deb Shubat and Laura sang “Have Yourself Some Merry Little Blue Jays.”
- Winter Bird Baths (Dec. 2, 1997)
Laura talks about the issues involved in providing water to birds in winter.
- Hunting Part II (Placeholder) (Nov. 24, 1997)
Some listeners found last week’s program about hunting unfair. 3:23
Audio missing Permalink- Winter Finches (Placeholder) (Nov. 21, 1997)
This is a year when many Northland feeders abound with finches. Who are these winter birds and why are they here? 4:00
Audio missing Permalink- Cuddlng (Placeholder) (Nov. 19, 1997)
Some birds, like people, snuggle for warmth. 3:27 (Not exactly certain of the date)
Audio missing Permalink- Point-Counterpoint: Hunting (Nov. 17, 1997)
Laura wrote both sides of this hunter vs. anti-hunter debate. She actually is neutral on the subject, in general.
- Waxwing wing tips (re-recorded) (Nov. 10, 1997)
Why do waxwings have those red tips?
- New Jersey Brant (Nov. 7, 1997)
Laura got a lifer at Cape May!
- Do Birds Yawn? (Reworked) (Nov. 5, 1997)
Are birds really yawning, or is it simply a kind of jaw-stretch?
- Sanderlings (Placeholder) (Nov. 3, 1997)
This program is about the cute little sandpipers that run along the ocean’s edge. 3:51
Audio missing Permalink- The Raven (Oct. 31, 1997)
Laura reads Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, “The Raven.”
- Bunter (Placeholder) (Oct. 31, 1997)
Bunter, my birding companion for 14 years, died last week. 4:02
Audio missing Permalink- Great Gray Owl (reworked) (Oct. 24, 1997)
Laura talks about a spectacular bird that embodies the spirit of the north woods.
- The Dr. Ruth of Ornithology explains the birds and the bees (UDY) (Oct. 15, 1997)
Why is Laura called the Dr. Ruth of Ornithology?
Audio missing Permalink- Gettysburg (Placeholder) (Sept. 3, 1997)
Even a place rich in human associations can tell us something about birds.
Audio missing Permalink- Sora (redone from 1993) (Sept. 2, 1997)
Laura talks about a Sora she rehabbed in 1993, and which character in Little Women it would represent.
Audio missing Permalink- Mourning Dove (Sept. 1, 1997)
Laura talks about a bird whose plumage and call are both the epitome of softness.
Audio missing Permalink- The Souls of Birds (Placeholder) (Aug. 29, 1997)
Do birds have a soul? 3:55
Audio missing Permalink- Ocean Birds (Placeholder) (Aug. 27, 1997)
This is about a trip Laura made last week to the Atlantic Ocean. 4:04
Audio missing Permalink- Indigo Bunting (Aug. 25, 1997)
This program is about the Indigo Bunting that helped Laura find her way home. 4:08
Audio missing Permalink- Magical Time with the Nighthawks (Aug. 4, 1997)
Laura spent an evening watching nighthawks flying in and out of an oversized flag on a beautiful evening.
- Mid- Late Summer 1997 (July 22, 1997)
There are more birds alive right now than at any other time of year even though they’re inconspicuous.
- Tyrant of All Tyrants (Placeholder) (July 18, 1997)
Eastern Kingbirds may be diminutive and attractive songbirds, but they’re the tyrant dinosaurs of the bird world. 3:19
Audio missing Permalink- Summer of the Siskin (Placeholder) (July 16, 1997)
Rescuing a baby Pine Siskin was a lot of trouble, giving an enormous reward. 4:10
Audio missing Permalink- Woodpeckers (Placeholder) (July 14, 1997)
From tiny Downy Woodpeckers to the enormous Pileated Woodpecker, people notice the axmen of the bird world. 3:28
Audio missing Permalink- Salivary Glands (Placeholder) (July 11, 1997)
Birds may not be known by their spitting, but they do have salivary glands. 3:20
Audio missing Permalink- Chimney Swift (July 10, 1997)
Chimney Swifts feed exclusively on airborne invertebrates. How can they eat so many spiders? And can American swift nests be used for birds’ nest soup?
- Book Review: Nights of the Pufflings (Placeholder) (July 9, 1997)
Today we review a great children’s book. 4:00
Audio missing Permalink- Book Review: The Re-enchantment of Everyday Life (Placeholder) (July 7, 1997)
Today’s program is a review of Thomas Moore’s latest book. 3:48
Audio missing Permalink- Flicker (Placeholder) (July 4, 1997)
Today’s program is about the woodpecker who hops on lawns. 4:10
Audio missing Permalink- Cedar Waxwing (Placeholder) (July 2, 1997)
Cedar Waxwings are one of the Northland’s most conspicuous summer birds. 3:53
Audio missing Permalink- Breeding Bird Survey 1997 (Placeholder) (June 30, 1997)
Laura’s annual ritual of counting breeding birds. 4:03
Audio missing Permalink- Baby Bird Graduation (June 24, 1997)
Baby birds have a low graduation rate—a single failed test is usually fatal.
- Florida in May (UD) (June 18, 1997)
Laura and Russ went to Florida in late May, and saw some interesting birds.
Audio missing Permalink- Luna Moths on Burntside Lake (June 17, 1997)
Many big moths that birds depend on are declining for all kinds of reasons, so Laura was thrilled to find three Luna Moths on Burntside Lake near the Boundary Waters.
- Burrowing Owl (Placeholder) (June 13, 1997)
When a little owl from the Great Plains turned up in Duluth, plenty of birders were around to enjoy it. 4:25
Audio missing Permalink- Learning Bird Sounds (June 12, 1997)
How did Laura learn bird sounds? Sometimes she tracked birds down in nature, and sometimes she listened to recordings.
- Lifers at 55 (Placeholder) (June 11, 1997)
Today’s program is about lifers I’ve added while zipping along freeways and highways. 3:16
Audio missing Permalink- Egrets and Herons (Placeholder) (June 9, 1997)
Today’s topic is egrets and herons—birds we can easily see and identify even at highway speed. 4:15
Audio missing Permalink- Barred Owl (June 6, 1997)
Barred Owls have bizarre calls and curious nesting habits.
- Urban Birds (Adapted from 1988) (June 4, 1997)
Birds adapted to city life are more interesting and varied than most people realize.
- Baby Crows (June 2, 1997)
This is a banner year for baby crows. How do they negotiate the challenges of life in the north land?
- Bald Eagle (Placeholder) (May 12, 1997)
This has lots of information about eagles. 4:06
Audio missing Permalink- Denizens of Darkness (Placeholder) (May 9, 1997)
This program is about night birds and their sounds. 3:37
Audio missing Permalink- Connecting with Birds (May 7, 1997)
Getting birds to sing to us, drawing birds closer, even getting pooped on by a bird—people rejoice in the connections we make with nature.
- Hummingbird and Oriole Feeders (Placeholder) (May 5, 1997)
This is the week to set out hummingbird and oriole feeders. 3:55
Audio missing Permalink- Book Review: American Bird Conservancy field guide (Placeholder) (May 2, 1997)
The American Bird Conservancy recently released a new field guide. 3:50
Audio missing Permalink- Collections (Placeholder) (April 30, 1997)
Today’s program is about the human and avian need to collect things. (4:22)
Audio missing Permalink- Housewarming Gifts (Placeholder) (April 25, 1997)
Setting out nest materials for birds is a way we can warm birds and ourselves both. 4:07
Audio missing Permalink- Fox Sparrows (Placeholder) (April 23, 1997)
This program is about the bird that produces one of the loveliest spring songs. 3:42
Audio missing Permalink- Rat Poison (Placeholder) (April 21, 1997)
Don’t put rat poison in your bird seed to get rid of chipmunks!! 3:11
Audio missing Permalink- Laundromat Territoriality (Placeholder) (April 18, 1997)
To study territoriality, even a laundromat is a learning experience. 4:28
Audio missing Permalink- Spring (Placeholder) (April 16, 1997)
This one is about signs of spring and why it’s important to keep spring feeders filled. 3:07
Audio missing Permalink- Eagle Poop (Placeholder) (April 14, 1997)
Yep–this one is about eagle droppings and the impact one had on my car. 3:22
Audio missing Permalink- April (Placeholder) (April 11, 1997)
Early spring is a time of contradictions. 3:53
Audio missing Permalink- Aspen Trees (Placeholder) (April 9, 1997)
Aspens are popping out, feeding the first spring birds. 4:05
Audio missing Permalink- Searching for Spring (Placeholder) (April 7, 1997)
Where the heck IS spring Not quite in Duluth yet. 3:02
Audio missing Permalink- Early Mating Rituals (Placeholder) (April 4, 1997)
April is the month to see some of the loveliest mating rituals of the bird world. 3:34
Audio missing Permalink- Happy Anniversary (Placeholder) (April 2, 1997)
A 25th wedding anniversary inspired this program about the mating habits of birds. 3:30
Audio missing Permalink- American Woodcock (Placeholder) (March 31, 1997)
The Cyrano de Bergerac of the North Woods is courting once again. 3:26
Audio missing Permalink- Downy Woodpecker (Placeholder) (March 28, 1997)
Today’s program is about the tiny standoffish prude of the Northwoods. 3:21
Audio missing Permalink- Robert Frost (Placeholder) (March 26, 1997)
Laura Erickson marks Robert Frost’s birthday with a few of his bird poems. 4:24
Audio missing Permalink- Spring is here—almost (Placeholder) (March 14, 1997)
Signs of spring are beginning to appear. 3:36
Audio missing Permalink- Cats! (Placeholder) (March 12, 1997)
Today I talk about a great information brochure about cats. 3:51
Audio missing Permalink- Red-bellied Woodpecker (March 10, 1997)
This program is about a rare visitor to the Northland. 3:24
Audio missing Permalink- Roseate Spoonbill (Placeholder) (March 7, 1997)
This one’s the funkiest bird on the planet. I had to use a recording of its close relative, the White-faced Ibis. 3:48
Audio missing Permalink- Mountain Plovers (Placeholder) (March 5, 1997)
Here I talk about a really neat prairie bird. I had no recording of a Mountain Plover so I used a Snowy Plover call.
Audio missing Permalink- Whooping Crane Boat Ride (Placeholder) (March 3, 1997)
This program is about the boat ride that takes people to see Whooping Cranes. Even non-birders would enjoy this trip. 4:03
Audio missing Permalink- Baby Ducks for sale (Feb. 17, 1997)
Buying baby ducks for Easter is almost always a very bad thing. (Date is certain)
Audio missing Permalink- The Coffee Connection (Feb. 3, 1997)
Organic coffee grown in the shade of a diverse forest is much better for birds than coffee grown in the sun.
Audio missing Permalink- Crossbill (Jan. 31, 1997)
Laura finds herself rehabbing a Red Crossbill, which is making her feel richer than Donald Trump.
Audio missing Permalink- IBM Owl (Jan. 29, 1997)
A commercial promising a copy of the World Book Encyclopedia on a CD-Rom for every IBM computer sold has ruffled a lot of feathers. It shows a little girl picking up an injured Great Horned Owl and finding out what to do with her World Book CD-Rom.
Audio missing Permalink- Great Gray Owl (Jan. 27, 1997)
Great Gray Owls may be bigger, but they weigh far less than Great Horned and Snowy Owls. They eat mice, and very little else. And this year they’re surprisingly easy to see.
Audio missing Permalink- Discouraging House Sparrows in Nest Boxes (Jan. 22, 1997)
Laura gives some concrete strategies for discouraging House Sparrows from using nest boxes.
Audio missing Permalink- House Sparrows (Jan. 20, 1997)
The Artful Dodgers of the bird world are here to stay.
Audio missing Permalink- Northern Shrike (Jan. 15, 1997)
Predatory shrikes lead dangerous lives, but people aren’t very sympathetic.
- Dead Owls (Jan. 13, 1997)
Laura’s freezer is filling up with owls succumbing to the harsh winter. They’ll be necropsied and then salvaged for education; they’re already educating Laura about their hard lives.
- Winter Bird Baths (Dec. 2, 1997)