Laura Erickson's For the Birds
May 21, 2026 · 7 min · 7 segments
When Laura was in Ohio earlier this month, she saw roosting whip-poor-wills for the first time in half a century.
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[birds singing] Have you ever watched babies in strollers or backpacks at a shopping mall? Everything is new and draws their gaze.
Without filters, they stare out, bewildered, transfixed, their eyes wide with wonder.
Just like one of those babies, when I started birding, my eyes were bewildered and transfixed, scrutinizing every single branch and twig on every single tree.
Little by little, I learned that I saw birds more quickly if I focused on movement and sound.
That made my birding much more efficient, but it also meant that I missed cool things that really do require scrutinizing every branch.
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