- Trails are open 24/7 at no charge. Enjoy a Winnie-the-Pooh themed TRAIL TALES Storybook Walk.
What’s Happening: Rain and Wildlife
Excessive early spring snow and rain forced Big Creek over its banks, so as we at Crossroads we celebrate migration—birds, fish, frogs… we are eager to see if the abundant water will affect their behavior and reproductive success. So, we will be wildlife and bird watching this spring. And throughout the sucker run, Crossroads will be deploying wildlife cameras throughout the Big Creek corridor to help monitor wildlife and see who else is utilizing the creek during this time of year.
Last spring, we offered a class called “Birding with Merlin” for Learning in Retirement, and we seldom received such positive feedback. (In fact, LIR has asked us to repeat the class this May.) Participants told us that Merlin truly opened up the world of birdwatching for them.
The free Merlin Bird ID app—named for both the legendary wizard of King Arthur’s court and a small falcon—was created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. This AI-powered tool can identify birds by photo or sound, using location and date to offer reliable suggestions right on a smartphone.
But even powerful tools have limits.
Developers and experienced birders alike caution that Merlin can make mistakes. I know from experience: when I bird while wearing a certain pair of corduroy pants, the app insists I’m hearing a ruffed grouse. Nope—just my legs brushing together. Errors like that can still end up recorded as sightings.
There’s also a tendency for some users to focus on adding as many species as possible to their lists without taking time to truly observe and verify what they’re seeing. Birders even have a lighthearted term—“zombie birder”—for someone focused more on their phone than the world around them.
At Crossroads, we welcome listers and yes, even “zombie birders.” But this week, we’re encouraging something more: behavior watching.
Use Merlin—but don’t let it do all the birding for you.
Go beyond identifying a bird. Watch what it’s doing—and where: feeding, nesting, calling, interacting with its habitat. Same goes for our mammals and amphibians.
Our programs this week reflect that approach. Nature Investigators, our Thursday afternoon family program, will focus on “Signs of Life,” encouraging participants to observe birds, fish, and frogs in their habitats. Saturday Science will emphasize behavior over identification. Our seasonal Monday Matinee highlights the fascinating spawning behavior of suckers.
This spring, we invite you to get in touch with nature at Crossroads. Turn on your Merlin app if you like—but don’t stop there. Look up. Look around. The natural world is full of stories waiting to be noticed.
– by Coggin Heeringa, Interpretive Naturalist
For more information, please check out our Crossroads calendar or stop by the Collins Learning Center and pick up a printed calendar. Programs are free and our trails are open 24/7, free of charge, thanks to donors like you!
Crossroads at Big Creek Learning Center and Nature Preserve is located at 2041 Michigan Street, Sturgeon Bay. Crossroads is a 501(c)(3) non-profit NGO supported by the community and committed to inspiring stewardship of the environment through education, research, and outdoor experiences. We welcome your support.
Upcoming Activities
