Laura Erickson's For The Birds

Whether you're a fledgling woodpecker or a person on a bike, landings can be much more awkward than takeoffs.

Even though Laura, in her dotage, is growing forgetful and consumed with her grandson, she says it's not her fault that she didn't mention Blue Jays again after announcing that August was National Blue Jay Awareness Month. She blames the Blue Jays.

In this week's episode of her wonderful podcast, ["Going Wild,"](https://link.chtbl.com/LTZFSlMP?sid=FortheBirds) Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant talks with Christian Cooper, author of *Better Living Through Birding* and host of the National Geographic *Extraordinary Birder* television series.

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are lingering in Duluth longer than usual this year. Why is that, and where are they headed?

Conservation biologists tend to compete and undercut one another rather than cooperating, which can hurt the birds they think they're helping. Laura's hero Chandler Robbins provided a stellar example of how cooperation can make things better for everyone, humans and birds alike. The blog link provides the transcript for Tunnel Vision, Part 1 as well, so you'll need to scroll down to get today's transcript.

Conservation biologists have to look beyond their specialties and cooperate if they really want to help birds. My blog link includes the transcript for both this and the next program.

People have a deep-rooted tendency to see the natural world as they first experienced it as "normal," without recognizing the many changes, including tragic, fairly recent losses, that were happening before they started paying attention. The illustration for today's podcast was created by John Schoenherr for Sterling North's 1963 book, *Rascal*, a memoir of his experiences as a child while his big brother was fighting in World War I. Schoenherr also illustrated the Caldecott Award-winning *Owl Moon*. Schoenherr gave me permission to use it in my own work, and I thought it worked well to illustrate how abundant nighthawks once were.

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 today's blogpost.)

Nighthawks are not recovering their former numbers, but their massive decline seems to have at least leveled off.

Nighthawks have declined enormously between 1966 and 2015. Why?

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.

Paying attention to nature and the environment is every bit as important as paying attention to the marketplace.

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.)

Laura's grandson Walter and her backyard Pileated Woodpecker are both three years old!

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 August, before they start looking their old selves again.

Laura plans to reduce her carbon footprint and have a lot of fun on a new e-bike.

Laura loves a truly wild little piece of central Florida protected and maintained by The Nature Conservancy.

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 captain who pointed out lots of cool things including her lifer Gray-headed Swamphens.

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 information about how and where these animals survive in the wild.

Lake Tohopekaliga is the best place Laura knows for getting good looks at Limpkins and Snail Kites.