If you have ever wondered what a wood duck looks like, here's your chance to find out. The Beaver Lake Nature Center will host two runs, on April 5 and 12, of Wood Duck Wander, a guided tour through the woods along the shore of Beaver Lake to scope out the wood duck during its nesting season.

“They've just come back from the South,” naturalist Greg Smith said. “They nest high in the hollow trees, they like to find woodpecker holes about 40 or even 50 feet high.”

Wood ducks, he explained, may be seen high in the trees, perhaps perched on a horizontal branch. They don't nest on the ground. The male duck follows the female until she finds a good nest.

“It's like the scene at the mall, the wife goes shopping and the man lags behind her,” Smith said with a chuckle.

The Wood Duck Wander is a program to promote conservation, awareness and understanding, said Smith. “We want to give understanding of what's going on, and hopefully get a good look at them.”

Also on Saturday, the Sterling Nature Center will usher in spring weather with Signs of Spring Walk. Walkers will search for any and all signs that “the warm weather might be here to stay,” said Jim D'Angelo, director of the nature center.

“We'll search for birds that have migrated back to the area, wild flowers that have started to bud, and we'll take a walk through the garden,” he said. “It's just a leisurly walk to see what we can find.”

Walkers are welcome to bring binoculars and shoes they don't mind getting muddy. “It may be a surprise what we find.”

If you go

What: Wood Duck Wander

When: 7:30 a.m. Saturday, April 5 and 12

Where: Beaver Lake Nature Center, Baldwinsville

Cost: $2 parking fee

Info: Call 638-2519

What: Signs of Spring Walk

When: 1 p.m. Saturday, April 5

Where: Sterling Nature Center, Sterling

Cost: Free

Info: Call 947-6143