Laura Erickson's For the Birds
"For the Birds" began airing on KUMD in Duluth, MN, in May, 1986, and is the longest continually-running radio program about birds in the U.S. Hundreds more episodes are available for free at http://www.lauraerickson.com/radio/.
- Update frequency
- every 3 days
- Average duration
- 5 minutes
- Episodes
- 267
- Years Active
- 2023 - 2025
Exploration, Discovery, and Triumph
As long as Laura has been birding, and specifically as long as she's been watching Pileated Woodpeckers, she's still making new discoveries. (As usual, all the photos mentioned in this program are on…
00:05:14 |
Mon 04 Sep 2023
Nighthawks: Reason for hope
Nighthawks are not recovering their former numbers, but their massive decline seems to have at least leveled off.
00:05:17 |
Tue 29 Aug 2023
Nighthawks: Why are they declining?
Nighthawks have declined enormously between 1966 and 2015. Why?
00:05:57 |
Mon 28 Aug 2023
Nighthawks! Part I: Why I love them so much
Laura recounts two experiences--when she saw her first nighthawk, and when she rehabbed her first one--to explain why she loves this species so very much.
00:05:49 |
Wed 23 Aug 2023
The Road to Extinction
Paying attention to nature and the environment is every bit as important as paying attention to the marketplace.
00:05:26 |
Tue 22 Aug 2023
Making Our Yards Safe for Blue Jays (and other birds)
This episode includes important warnings about birdbaths, feeders, and especially peanut butter! (IMPORTANT takeaway--never get peanut butter with xylitol or "birch sugar" as an ingredient.)
00:05:35 |
Fri 18 Aug 2023
Two Little Boys Turn Three!
Laura's grandson Walter and her backyard Pileated Woodpecker are both three years old!
00:05:43 |
Mon 14 Aug 2023
National Blue Jay Awareness Month
This August will have a blue moon, making this what Laura calls National Blue Jay Awareness Month. It's a good time to think about how Blue Jay adults look their scruffiest and most bedraggled in Aug…
00:04:49 |
Fri 11 Aug 2023
New Wheels for Birding!
Laura plans to reduce her carbon footprint and have a lot of fun on a new e-bike.
00:05:21 |
Thu 10 Aug 2023
Disney Wilderness Preserve
Laura loves a truly wild little piece of central Florida protected and maintained by The Nature Conservancy.
00:05:31 |
Wed 09 Aug 2023
Wild Florida
Wild Florida's main attractions for visitors are alligators, sloths, and a "wild animal safari," but Laura was impressed with the wild birds she saw, and especially with the knowledge of an airboat c…
00:05:00 |
Tue 08 Aug 2023
Discovery Cove
In April, Laura and her Explore Kissimmee group visited Discovery Cove, a limited-admission park owned by SeaWorld. Laura got great photos and had a lot of fun, but wishes the park provided more info…
00:05:16 |
Mon 07 Aug 2023
Lake Tohopekalipa
Lake Tohopekaliga is the best place Laura knows for getting good looks at Limpkins and Snail Kites.
00:04:43 |
Wed 02 Aug 2023
Kissimmee!
Kissimmee, Florida, in the most touristy part of Florida, is still rich in birdlife.
00:04:12 |
Tue 01 Aug 2023
Florida in Crisis
Florida's biodiversity and human diversity are at risk right now even as their governor is driving the state off a cliff, asleep at the wheel.
Warning: Three times in this program I use the word "…
00:05:26 |
Mon 31 Jul 2023
Parasitic Jaeger in July!!
A Parasitic Jaeger turned up on Park Point in Duluth last weekend, and Laura spent some time watching it Wednesday.
00:05:47 |
Fri 28 Jul 2023
Teach Your Children Well, Part 2
Loons must teach their babies about danger, weighing just how dangerous every threat might be. The loon recordings used in this program were made by me during the pontoon boat experience recounted in…
00:04:56 |
Fri 21 Jul 2023
Teach Your Children Well, Part 1
How do Blue Jays, Crows, and Pileated Woodpeckers teach their babies to avoid danger?
00:05:49 |
Thu 20 Jul 2023
Of Magpie Nests and "Man's Pitiful Confusions"
Magpies and crows in Europe are incorporating metal anti-bird spikes into their nests to keep other birds away. Laura finds this doubly "ironic," reminding us we're all in this together.
The Eura…
00:05:11 |
Wed 19 Jul 2023
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