Wisdom, the oldest wild bird in the known universe, returned to Midway Island again!

Laura Erickson's For the Birds

She's Back!

One of Laura's college Shakespeare classes made a huge difference in her life.

A Belated Thank You to Randal Robinson

Laura explains why she has taken more Shakespeare courses than most non-English majors.

Why Shakespeare has been so important to me

Laura attended the University of Illinois from 1969-1971, when their mascot was the offensive and stereotypical "Chief Illiniwek." Due to pressure from students, alumni, staff, and the community, the U. of I. got rid of that mascot in 2008, but haven't replaced it with anything. A wonderful student, and now alumnus, named Spencer Halsey spearheaded a campaign to name a real-life blue-and-orange local bird, the Belted Kingfisher, the new official mascot. This is a splendid idea that deserves support.

Make the Belted Kingfisher the official mascot of the University of Illinois

It takes verifiable documentation for anyone, bird or human, to make the grade in *Guinness World Records*. But based on the standard for the entry "lowest temperature endured by a bird," the Black-capped Chickadee is definitely a contender.

The Chickadee deserves a place in Guinness World Records

Laura's been spending a lot of time perusing the *Guinness Book of World Records* this week.

Record-breakers, from turkeys to godwits

Laura talks about the four godwit species in the world.

Godwits!

Laura's 71st birthday, as usual, has her thinking about birds.

In My Prime

A bird with a cool name is unique in other ways, too.

Phainopepla: A Bird as Unique as Its Name.

Minnesota's first record of a Phainopepla stuck around the McQuade boat landing from October 29 through November 1. Where is she now? No one will ever know.

Phainopepla: Which way did she go?

A new Pileated Woodpecker spent some time in Laura's yard making her wonder how Pileateds figure out bird feeders.

The New Kid on the Block

New apps can identify songs for us, whether those songs were produced by a person or a bird. (The program opens with a Sesame Street recording of "What's the Name of That Song?" and uses the "Li'l Darlin'" tract from the album *The Atomic Mr. Basie*.

What's the Name of That Song?

When birders gather to see one rare bird, they often spot another one.

When Rarity Begets Rarity

Laura's favorite thing about the Woodson Art Museum's annual "Birds in Art" exhibit is how each artist has a unique spin on the theme.

Birds in Art, Part 3: When Birds and Humans Intersect

Laura talks about her visit last month to the Leigh Yawkkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau to see the 2022 Birds in Art exhibit.

Birds in Art, Part 2: The 2022 Exhibit at the Woodson Art Museum

"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/.

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Laura Erickson's For the Birds

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