On a morning late last month, a host of Neotropical species stopped in to forage in and around the prairie demonstration garden just outside the SBTH Habitat Discovery Center. This garden is filled with half a dozen species of native grasses and many more species of forbs (wildflowers), and it has a standing dead elm at one corner. Several native maple trees are nearby and a berry-laden serviceberry is at the opposite corner of the snag.
The flock of goldfinches, taking seeds from black-eyed Susans, was no surprise. Neither, actually, was the family of eastern kingbirds, hawking insects from their respective perches in the dead elm. None of the birds was unexpected, including the great crested flycatcher, hunting from a branch in the elm, or the rose breasted grosbeak or the nectaring hummingbird, or the pair of Baltimore orioles. All of these birds occur regularly on the Center’s property, and all were foraging on insects, nectar and seeds of our native plants.
But what was striking about this occurrence was that their foraging at the same time was a great example of the degree to which native plants provide for them – without the addition of feeders. There are no feeders at the Discovery Center, but there always are foraging birds.
If you are in Leelanau County and you would like to see just how effective our habitats are, stop by and check us out. We are located at 5020 North Putnam Road, about two miles west of “downtown” Omena.