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.

2024 Year in Review!

Photo credit: Manomet Photo credit Jennifer Thornton Thanks to our inspired volunteer Board, committee members, and field trip leaders, the Brookline Bird Club enjoyed impressive successes during 2024.  Our volunteer trip leaders and enthusiastic participants

ANNUAL REPORT 2023

The Brookline Bird Club (BBC) recorded 275 species for 2023, based upon 200 trips reported from Massachusetts, and those from out of state.  We recorded 267 species in Massachusetts, three more than 2022, with 8

ANNUAL REPORT 2022

The Brookline Bird Club (BBC) recorded 276 species for 2022, based upon 204 reported trips. Of those, 264 species were recorded in Massachusetts, with 12 additional species reported from the out-of-state trips to New Hampshire

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Brookline Bird Club 2021 Statistical and Year-End Report By David Scott, Club Statistician The Brookline Bird Club recorded 270 species for 2021, based upon 206 reported trips. Two-hundred and sixty-five species were recorded in Massachusetts,

Renew membership now!

Calling all BBC members - annual memberships expire December 31st 2024. Renew today for the 2025 calendar year to continue uninterrupted access to member benefits including our blue book mailings, member webinars, and more! Membership

2024 Year in Review!

Photo credit: Manomet Photo credit Jennifer Thornton Thanks to our inspired volunteer Board, committee members, and field trip leaders, the Brookline Bird Club enjoyed impressive successes during 2024.  Our volunteer trip leaders and enthusiastic participants

ANNUAL REPORT 2023

The Brookline Bird Club (BBC) recorded 275 species for 2023, based upon 200 trips reported from Massachusetts, and those from out of state.  We recorded 267 species in Massachusetts, three more than 2022, with 8

ANNUAL REPORT 2022

The Brookline Bird Club (BBC) recorded 276 species for 2022, based upon 204 reported trips. Of those, 264 species were recorded in Massachusetts, with 12 additional species reported from the out-of-state trips to New Hampshire

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Brookline Bird Club 2021 Statistical and Year-End Report By David Scott, Club Statistician The Brookline Bird Club recorded 270 species for 2021, based upon 206 reported trips. Two-hundred and sixty-five species were recorded in Massachusetts,

Renew membership now!

Calling all BBC members - annual memberships expire December 31st 2024. Renew today for the 2025 calendar year to continue uninterrupted access to member benefits including our blue book mailings, member webinars, and more! Membership

2024 Year in Review!

Photo credit: Manomet Photo credit Jennifer Thornton Thanks to our inspired volunteer Board, committee members, and field trip leaders, the Brookline Bird Club enjoyed impressive successes during 2024.  Our volunteer trip leaders and enthusiastic participants

ANNUAL REPORT 2023

The Brookline Bird Club (BBC) recorded 275 species for 2023, based upon 200 trips reported from Massachusetts, and those from out of state.  We recorded 267 species in Massachusetts, three more than 2022, with 8

ANNUAL REPORT 2022

The Brookline Bird Club (BBC) recorded 276 species for 2022, based upon 204 reported trips. Of those, 264 species were recorded in Massachusetts, with 12 additional species reported from the out-of-state trips to New Hampshire

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Brookline Bird Club 2021 Statistical and Year-End Report By David Scott, Club Statistician The Brookline Bird Club recorded 270 species for 2021, based upon 206 reported trips. Two-hundred and sixty-five species were recorded in Massachusetts,

Renew membership now!

Calling all BBC members - annual memberships expire December 31st 2024. Renew today for the 2025 calendar year to continue uninterrupted access to member benefits including our blue book mailings, member webinars, and more! Membership

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Upcoming Field Trips

  • Mount Auburn Cemetery

    Mount Auburn Cemetery 536 Mt Auburn St, Cambridge, MA, United States
  • Arlington Reservoir

    Lexington - Arlington Reservoir 210 Lowell Street, Arlington, MA, United States

    We will search for spring migrants, waterfowl, shorebirds. Cosponsored with Menotomy Bird club.

  • Mount Auburn Cemetery

    Mount Auburn Cemetery 536 Mt Auburn St, Cambridge, MA, United States
  • Fruitlands Museum, Harvard

    Harvard - Fruitlands Museum 102 Prospect Hill Rd., Harvard, MA, United States

    Cosponsored with Boxborough Birders. We will look for resident species including Indigo Bunting, Savannah Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, Scarlet Tanager, Veery, Blue-headed Vireo, Wild Turkey, American Kestrel, and a variety of warblers. Expect to walk about two miles on trails through meadows and woods, with some steep sections. Prepare for ticks. We will bird at the

  • Caratunk Wildlife Sanctuary

    Seekonk - Caratunk Wildlife Sanctuary 301 Brown Avenue, Seekonk, MA, United States

    Just two miles from the Rhode Island border, Caratunk Wildlife Refuge in Seekonk, MA offers six miles of nature hiking trails through nearly 200 acres of fields, forests, streams and ponds. A Purple Martin colony can be observed nesting in the gourds in the main field. Trails are easy to moderate in difficulty. Expect 2.5

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