Laura Erickson's For the Birds

Birds flying at night must avoid collisions with obstructions as they take off and land, and with one another as they cruise along. How do they do it?

Park Point's been a happenin' place this week! A couple of extremely rare vagrants were there for days or at least hours, but Laura wasn't as lucky as she wished.

How can birds find their way in the dark? The answer is nuanced, so today's program is condensed from the much longer blogpost.

Why do birds with poor night vision migrate at nighttime?

Laura got a crush on the boy in front of her in homeroom sixty years ago this week!

Thirty-one years ago, Laura and her family had some very memorable experiences with two baby flickers.

How can some birds survive a Minnesota winter while others must leave?

When the American Ornithological Society's Committee on Classification and Nomenclature announces their annual changes to the official Checklist, birders take notice!

Even as species decline, bird migration is thrilling to behold.

Laura's world seems fresher, more magical, and genuinely miraculous now that she's a grandma.

For many birds, the end of summer marks the beginning of spanking new feathers. Too bad adults have to go through that awkward molt to get them.

Laura talks about hummingbirds and gives some tips to make life better for our backyard hummingbirds.

Horrible news on the bird as well as human front is making it hard for Laura to keep up.

Laura’s many visits to Florida have forged beautiful memories of family, friends, and birds. But she’ll not be returning while the state hosts and even celebrates horrifying ICE facilities, including a concentration camp within the Everglades.

One of Laura's readers got photos of a Blue Jay sunbathing, or "sunning," last week, reminding Laura of when she first learned about this interesting behavior. His photos, along with information about a similar behavior called "anting," are on Laura's blog entry.

On July 14, BB the Pileated Woodpecker turned up in Laura's yard with a daughter!

Back in 2022, Laura was interviewed by a writer for LIFE magazine. It totally slipped her mind until one of her friends read the article, which is on newsstands now.

Watching backyard nests can be very joyful, when starlings or predators don't intervene.

As much as Laura loves watching baby birds, she is very reluctant to look for nests.

Birds don’t ostracize individuals from their social flocks based on “objective sex-based differences.” That would undermine their civil society.

Birds don’t ostracize individuals from their social flocks based on “objective sex-based differences.” That would undermine their civil society.

One of Laura's readers was distressed by the last episode of "For the Birds." Laura stands by every word. We can protect our pets from diseases and also protect our backyard birds with one simple, straightforward rule: If your pets get flea and tick protection, don’t set out their fur for nesting birds.

Treatments to protect dogs (and us!) from insect bites turn out to make that pet fur, and our own treated clothing, dangerous for birds.

It's been over 4 months since Laura saw her beloved BB, but now he's back!

Four-year-olds should not have any concept of the Air Quality Index. What world are we bequeathing them?