Looking up into the homes of Door County birds. Photo by Emma Chamley.
A walk in the woods with experienced birders opens a new world of song
Door County is known for its views — sunsets across the lake, the purple of sprawling lavender fields or looking up at birch trees in a dense forest. But what about the sound of the county? The sounds of nature are just as rich as the sights, especially the sound of bird song. Bird calls often blend together into the ambient noise of nature, but their songs offer a unique insight into the world around us.
To learn more about the bird calls of Door County, I joined a few seasoned birders, along with volunteer guides Jan Wrede and Deb Ford, on an early morning hike. The hike, a part of the Door County Festival of Nature, led us through the Bay Shore Blufflands Nature Preserves in Sturgeon Bay, part of the Door County Land Trust.
I learned that Door County is home to around 300 different bird species, all with their own unique sound. Door birding is special because the Peninsula lies within the migration path of many species of birds. Ford said birds flying north ride southerly winds, but are forced to stop when wind patterns change. Door County, as well as other parts of the Lake Michigan coastline, become a temporary home for birds as they prepare to cross the lake.
Fortunately for me – someone who has only thought of bird sounds when wondering which bird outside my window was trying to wake me up in the morning – the hike was focused on beginner birding. As we walked along the paths of an old orchard, Ford and Wrede identified individual bird’s songs. Ford described the call of the great crested flycatcher as a singular “weep” noise, and the golden-winged warbler as a soft “buzz.” Most common (and loud) was the red-eyed vireo, which Wrede described as sounding as if the bird were having a pointed conversation with itself.
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A red-eyed vireo, described as sounding as if the bird were having a pointed conversation with itself, in its birch bark and paper-coated nest about 10 feet up in a small tree. File photo by Roy Lukes. -
The great crested flycatcher has a singular “weep” noise. File photo by Roy Lukes. -
The golden-winged warbler has a soft, buzz-like call. File photo by Roy Lukes.
Wrede says learning to identify birds by ear has helped her become more connected to nature and enhanced her birding skills.
“It allows me to know that they’re present,” Wrede said, “And not have to stop and look for them, or be frustrated because I can hear it but I can’t find it. It’s been a great tool for me to appreciate it.”
I found that even without knowing anything about birds, pausing to actively listen made me more aware of the diversity of sounds I often tuned out. What I previously would have just described as “bird noises,” other hikers in the group pointed out as the sharp knocking of a pileated woodpecker, and the unexpected “beep” of a chickadee.
Ford said she finds birding is a great way to get out and explore new places.
“I travel for birds,” Ford said. “So birds are for me a lovely segue into learning about a new area. It might be a land trust property, it might be a new country, a new city, but birds are a great way to start exploring.”
Ford said she uses an app called Merlin to help identify bird sounds she is unfamiliar with. The app allows users to upload recordings and photos and matches them with a specific bird species.
Stopping and listening to the birds brought a sense of peace and calm to the hike. Wrede said bird listening has added a feeling of mindfulness to her frequent walks.
“It’s part of my mental health,” Wrede said. “Being outside, being at peace, and focusing on the different sounds that you hear – it’s like a symphony. You can enjoy the whole thing all together or you can listen to the individual instruments.”
