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Happening
at the Crossroads
November 2,
2009
by Coggin
Heeringa
Folks
hiking at Crossroads at Big Creek this time of year are frequently
treated with getting a good look at migrating songbirds.
A
second-grade student wanted to know if the birds were going to build
nests and raise a new set of baby birds in South America. Actually,
most of the birds we see here at Crossroads will not be flying all the
way to South America. Some of them won’t get much beyond the Illinois
line, but for the birds that do cross the Equator, the question makes a
great deal of sense. Birds breed in the summer, and in South America,
it soon will be summer.
Turns out, while resident birds of South
America indeed are building nests and laying eggs this time of year,
the birds that breed in our region do not build nests in their winter
homes.
The major reason that our migratory birds do not breed in
South America is fairly easy to explain. The males and females do not
spend the winter together. Often they live hundreds of miles apart.
Which
birds will travel the farthest south? That depends on species. If the
male is bigger than the female, then usually, the female flies farther
south. If the female is bigger, then the male has farther to migrate.
(Note that birds don’t read the books and there are exceptions.)
Obviously, if the birds do not spend the South American summer together, they will not form pairs and mate.
During
our winter, whether they migrate or not, our birds do not breed. But,
they feed. And in Wisconsin, feeding birds is a popular pastime.
If
you would like to know more about feeding birds, Crossroads invites you
to a Make-and Take Bird Workshop on Sunday, November 8, at 4 pm.
Following a short slide show on bird feeders and our winter birds, each
participant will fashion a simple feeder to take home and hang. This is
a free workshop, but pre-registration (call 920.746.5895 by Friday) is
required so materials can be prepared.
Registration is also
required for the Cross-Generational Class on “Great Lakes Ecosystems”
which will be offered Thursday, November 11, from 1:30 – 3:30.
This
class will make use of the wonderful new exhibit in the entry level of
the Collins Learning Center. Cross-gen programs are designed for one
adult and one youth (ages 7-13) can learn together. Classes and
materials are free. Call 746-5895 to enroll.
Crossroads at Big
Creek is a donor-supported learning preserve welcoming life-long
learners of all ages to programs in science, history and the
environment. The Collins Learning Center, open daily 2:00-5:00, is
located at 2041 Michigan in Sturgeon Bay.
Thursday, November 5, 10:00
Nature Hike
Join
the naturalist in enjoying the sights, sounds and incredible scents of
late autumn. Moderate hiking. About an hour. Meet at the Collins
Learning Center.
Friday, November 6, 10:00
Nature Hike
Join
the naturalist in enjoying the sights, sounds and incredible scents of
late autumn. Moderate hiking. About an hour. Meet at the Collins
Learning Center.
Sunday, November 8, 4:00
Make-and-Take Bird Feeder Workshop
After
a short slide show on bird feeders and winter birds, each participant
will have an opportunity to fashion a simple bird feeder to take home.
The workshop is free and open to all ages, but pre-registration is
required (so materials can be prepared.)
Thursday, November 11, 1:30 – 3:30
Cross-Generational Class-Great Lakes Ecosystems
Designed
so one adult and one youth (age 7 – 13) can learn together, this class
will focus on Lake Michigan and the creatures which live in its waters.
Hands-on demonstrations and activities are free, but pre-registration
required. Call 746-5895
Many of
the Past News articles may be retrieved from this directory,
indexed and named in the following manner: 080101-news.htm
where
the first two numbers are the year, the second two the month and the
last two the date.
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