Laura Erickson's For The Birds

As Laura faces her 73rd birthday in what feels like a hopeless time, she looks to chickadees. (This program was reworked from the "For the Birds" program from October 12, 2010.)

The BP oil spill was when Laura learned just how much power a corporation has over individuals; well-meaning and well-respected organizations and institutions; and our government.

Billionaires and corporations have too much power over us, birds, and the environment we need and share.

Birding may keep us young, but not literally.

Clean energy should be making us less, not more, reliant on huge transmission lines.

Power transmission lines can be very harmful for birds and human beings.

Laura recently returned from the American Ornithological Society's annual meeting. Some things have changed, and some remain the same.

Laura's has attended a few professional ornithological meetings through the years.

Blue Jays help protect each other from Sharp-shinned Hawks.

More cases of errors and mistaken identity, and one case of vindication

When Laura makes a mistake, she appreciates people who let her know about it, but notes that there are good ways and bad ways of doing so.

Laura talked to Lillian Stokes and Matt Young about their decision to include the finches of Hawaii (called the Hawaiian Honeycreepers) in their new book.

Matt Young is doing important work with his Finch Research Network to help one of Laura's favorite birds of all, the Evening Grosbeak. He and Lillian Stokes talked about this splendid bird and their new book.

When Laura talked with Lillian Stokes and Matt Young about their new book, *The Stokes Guide to Finches,* they talked about one of our most widespread, common finches, the American Goldfinch.

Laura spent time talking with Lillian Stokes and Matt Young about their new book, *The Stokes Guide to Finches*. Today they explain how they met and decided to produce this book.

On September 17, Little Brown will be releasing a great new book, *The Stokes Guide to Finches.* Laura explains why she likes it.

A plucky little survivor. Except when it isn't.

The mystery of Blue Jay migration, and the irony of human nature.

On Labor Day, Laura had a most unexpected visitor at her birdbath.

Duluth birders, and even many non-birders, have been enjoying a huge nighthawk migration this week.