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Laura Erickson's For the Birds: cars take a toll on warbler wave and - what the heck was THAT?

Hawk-watchers were in "raptors" Sunday (see what we did there?) at Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory with the capture of a leucistic red-tailed hawk.  Many people were on hand to see the bird in person, while others followed ... raptly (!) ... the Facebook page:

"In 30 years of banding hawks, the Banding Director Frank Nicoletti perhaps has only had one partially leucistic Red-tail before and certainly not to the extent this bird today was.

Leucism is the abnormal condition cause by genetic mutation preventing pigments such as melanin being deposited in feathers. Albinism would be a complete lack of melanin.

Weighing in at 1,200 grams (good for a female in all likelihood and a big bird!) And she was not a young one. Aged as ASY (After Second Year) it showed plenty of battle scars to the feet, making it more then likely an older bird."

Meanwhile, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times for the yellow-rumped warblers migrating through.  Laura Erickson joined us this morning with the story on a live edition of For the Birds.

Lisa Johnson started her broadcast career anchoring the television news at her high school and spinning country music at KWWK/KOLM Radio in Rochester, Minnesota. She was a reporter and news anchor at KTHI in Fargo, ND (not to mention the host of a children's program called "Lisa's Lane") and a radio reporter and anchor in Moorhead, Bismarck, Wahpeton and Fergus Falls.Since 1991, she has hosted Northland Morning on KUMD. One of the best parts of her job includes "paying it forward" by mentoring upcoming journalists and broadcasters on the student news team that helps produce Northland Morning. She also loves introducing the different people she meets in her job to one another, helping to forge new "community connections" and partnerships.Lisa has amassed a book collection weighing over two tons, and she enjoys reading, photography, volunteering with Animal Allies Humane Society and fantasizing about farmland. She goes to bed at 8pm, long before her daughter, two cats, or three dogs.
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