Countryside living. Getting on a bit. It was only a matter of time before I gave into certain impulses: I’m curious about birdlife. It’s a curiosity that’s at risk of developing into outright ...

Spring is here, and the air is full of birdsong. The Merlin Bird ID app tells you what type of birds you’re hearing … plus it’s quick, easy and free. With this software from the Cornell Lab of ...

It’s spring, and nature is pulling me away from my computer as I write this. The sun is shining, the world is warming up, and the birds are chirping away. And that got me thinking: What if a ...

Bird watching is a great way to get outside and enjoy the surrounding nature. There’s just something relaxing about being in the woods, listening to the soothing sounds of bird calls. Get a few ...

Merlin was on the job at Westwood Hills Nature Center in St. Louis Park one recent day, helping birders identify bird songs. Not Merlin the storied magician, although what was happening could be ...

Here’s why birding by ear is a “living-in-the-moment experience.” By Camille Baker This week, we invite participants to try birding by ear. Practice identifying five species common to your area by ...

Immediately Merlin waves his magic baton and the app begins to display the singing species one after another. Most species I have already detected through the open window. Others I need to be outside ...

After a long summer of steamy humid nights, nothing beats sleeping with the windows open when the temperature finally drops. Fall weather arrived recently here in Michigan, where my family has a ...