Laura’s Best Bird EVER: A Lifetime of Magical Encounters
Have you ever had such a perfect look at a bird, or watched it in such perfect circumstances, that you thought it had to be the best bird ever? Laura Erickson has found herself saying exactly that on many occasions, from special glimpses at Pileated Woodpeckers and a Five-striped Sparrow family to her one and only glimpse at one of the rarest birds on the planet, the Horned Guan. Some of the birds she’s seen in her travels to four continents made the grade, but so did some of the special individuals she’s seen in her own backyard. Sometimes looking for the best bird ever can open our minds and hearts to much, much more.
Saturday October 19, 2019
7:30 pm –8:30 pm (social hour with refreshments from 6:30 pm)
Geological Lecture Theater, Harvard University. 24 Oxford St, Cambridge.
FREE parking at the garage at 52 Oxford St.
About Laura:
LAURA ERICKSON, 2014 recipient of the American Birding Association’s prestigious Roger Tory Peterson Award, has been a scientist, teacher, writer, wildlife rehabilitator, professional blogger, public speaker, photographer, American Robin and Whooping Crane Expert for the popular Journey North educational website, and Science Editor at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. She’s written eleven books about birds, including the ABA Field Guide to the Birds of Minnesota, National Geographic Pocket Guide to Birds of North America, the best-selling Into the Nest: Intimate Views of the Courting, Parenting, and Family Lives of Familiar Birds (co-authored by photographer Marie Read); the National Outdoor Book Award-winning Sharing the Wonder of Birds with Kids; 101 Ways to Help Birds; and The Bird Watching Answer Book for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. She’s currently a columnist and contributing editor for BirdWatching magazine. Since 1986 she has been producing the long-running “For the Birds” radio program for many public radio stations; the program is podcast on iTunes. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota, with her husband, one indoor cat, and her little birding dog Pip.
More about Laura at: https://www.lauraerickson.com.
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Upcoming Field Trips
Mount Auburn Cemetery
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Weston Station Pond Rookery
Discover a Weston hot-spot featuring a Great Blue Heron rookery accessible by public transportation. The walk offers excellent chances for spring migrants, raptors, nesting Eastern Bluebirds and various waterfowl. Beginners welcome. Leader will pre-walk the route to scout for arriving species each session.
Birding by Ear: Evening Chorus (note time change)
South Hamilton - John J. Donovan Reservation & Sagamore Hill Conservation Area 473 Sagamore St, South Hamilton, MA, United StatesA leisurely two-mile mile loop with a focus on listening to the evening songbird chorus. Recommended for those looking to learn more about birding by ear and migration. Open to beginners. Long pants and shirts recommended for mosquito protection. Bug spray too.
Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, Sharon
Sharon - Moose Hill 293 Moose Hill Pkwy, Sharon, MA, United StatesWe’ll be looking and listening for migrants along the Billings Loop. Let’s find what Glenn can hear! Co-sponsored with the South Shore Bird Club.