Laura Erickson's For the Birds

Agnes's bird in the movie and book, *Hamnet* is specified to be a falcon--a kestrel. But the falcon was portrayed in the movie by a completely unrelated bird from an entirely different continent--a Harris's Hawk. Laura didn't mind this at all--indeed, there were excellent reasons for using this "incorrect" species. Laura is in Colorado right now--this was recorded in her hotel room. She doesn't know if there will be more new programs this week--after today this is going to be one intense birding trip.

Most "For the Birds" programs have been pretty straightforward, but Laura's occasionally done some silly programs.

Laura never imagined doing anything on the radio, until a cataclysmic event made her rush in to fill a vacuum.

As "For the Birds" approaches its 40th anniversary next month, Laura's thinking back on what made her start this radio show in the first place. The family portrait photo was taken within a month or two of my starting "For the Birds." (No April Fools Day program this year--Laura couldn't find anything fun in the news.)

When this oldie got stuck in my head with new lyrics, I wanted to record it, but my normal accompanist plays piano and this needed a different sound. KUMD was in the basement of UMD's music department, and one day I mustered the courage to ask a professor I often saw in the hall if he had any kids who could do the musical background. They were Darin Bergsven, Nate Perbix, and John Sommerfeld, and were very fun to record in the studio—I’d never done that before! Of course, there was no way in heck I could record my own voice while they were listening! At the time, I was in the Duluth Symphony Chorus, but unless my voice is hidden within a chorus, I am strictly a closet singer.

A commercial for Jim Baker's new assortment of board games to keep your Blue Jays entertained.

Another oldie from 20 or 30 years ago, an ad for a new line of products available at Baker's Blue Jay Barn. (Jim Baker voiced by John Keenan.)

Jim Baker discovers the wonder of chickadees!

The California Ravens sang this oldie sometime around 2000. Katherine Erickson on piano.

Earth Angel hears from two satisfied customers, "Lars," whose Earth Angel Bird Identification Binoculars saved his life, and Juliet Montague, who settled an argument with her husband thanks to these amazing optics. For one month, I launched an hour-long program, "Wake Robin," with interviews, music, silly ads, and lots of fun stuff about birds. But I couldn't get anyone at KUMD interested in helping with production. Tim Winker, "the VOICE of the North Woods" and one of KUMD's most creative volunteers, helped me each week, running the board and making sure everything went okay, but without sponsors, I couldn't pay anyone (much less myself), and it took about 60 hours each week for me to get the pre-recorded segments written and produced. So it didn't last. This was one of the segments on that program. Tim Winker introduced the piece, Karen Keenan played Earth Angel, Russ Erickson played Lars, and Stephanie Hemphill played Juliet Montague.

I'm not sure when this first aired--probably around 2000--but I am adding it now because I'm posting several funny programs in time for April Fool's Day.

This was from a December sometime in the 90s.

One of Laura's most memorable experiences happened when she was teaching in Madison, Wisconsin, and a Brown Creeper spent time in her classroom. (This was reworked from April 21, 2020.)

One of Laura's favorite early spring migrants should be turning up any day now. (Much of the content is redone from April 17, 2020)

If we can't find out how much energy and water are consumed by various AI and large database programs, how can we make good decisions about using them? IMPORTANT: I've Updated this program based on new information. This is the new, accurate version.

A great many things we do, including listening to this radio program or podcast, involve Big Data.

There must be a connection, right?

Laura used to be more wowed by the beauty of golf courses than by real wilderness.

What looks beautiful and natural to untrained eyes can have a very dark side.

Fishing line is still a clear and present danger for birds.

In George Clooney's 2025 movie, *Jay Kelly*, his movie star character says, reviewing his life, "All my memories are movies." It turns out just about all Laura's memories are birds.

I don't know if Alexander the Great paid attention to ducks, but three cool diving ducks share their name with his horse.

Laura went out with her husband Russ to search for owls Sunday. Their sightings were limited to a couple of owl decoys, but they still saw some cool birds, and Laura remembers a lifetime of owls she has seen with Russ.

Hummingbirds have a fascinating fossil record.

An overview of the hummingbird family

Laura reminisces about the second tropical bird she ever saw.

Laura talks about the orangest members of the exotic cotinga family.

We Minnesotans are banding together in an inclusive, cohesive, peaceful rebel alliance, just like chickadees.

Laura is honoring today's “Get ICE Out of Minnesota” “Day of Truth and Freedom.”

Last month, Laura got to feast her eyes on her "Most Wanted Bird" in the world--an Andean Condor.

Today Laura celebrates the California Condor.

What does it mean when your first bird of the year is a pigeon?

One of Laura's listeners and readers, Linda Peplinski, gave Laura a lovely reminder of Thomas Hardy's poem *The Darkling Thrush.*

Five percent of Laura's joy in a trip comes during the planning stages; 45 percent comes during the actual trip; and a full 50 percent comes in the days, weeks, and years after the trip is over.

Laura's back from a wonderful trip.

Laura's daughter, turning 42 years old on December 10, is facing a hard ordeal.

On December 8, Laura plans to go to sleep on the far side of the Equator.

Tech companies and data centers will squander electricity and water until we impose strict regulations and give them cost incentives.

Why would anyone use AI to create fake birds when reality is so splendid?

Little by little, we've become inured to more and more technological intrusions, some of which bear enormous environmental costs.

It's comprehensive and includes birds of Hawaii now, but is too big to carry in the field, and the font is much too small to be readable for me.

What's a cattle egret doing just outside Duluth around Halloween?

Laura talks about how she protects herself from sunburn, bug bites, and falls while traveling, and also how she manages her heavy equipment in her dotage.

Laura is trying to keep her body fit and healthy so she can keep birding.

Now that Laura's in her seventies, she's developed a few strategies for keeping her mind and body fit for birding tours.

A Black Phoebe, a species of the American Southwest not known for wandering, showed up at Gooseberry Falls this weekend.

On Saturday, Laura saw a brand new, long-coveted state bird for Minnesota--a Chestnut-collared Longspur

Laura tells us about her experiences with a group of little birds that were once considered sparrows.