BY KAY CHARTER
Special to the Record-Eagle
August 03, 2008 12:00 am On a perfect May morning three years ago, Glen Chown took time away from his work to guide me around a 6,000-acre tract of land that the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy was working to purchase. Glen, executive director of the conservancy, drove first to a large meadow; he said local birders had persuaded the organization to maintain the fields for the benefit of upland nesting species. Although he mentioned Carl Freeman, Benzonia resident Keith Westphal may have been the first to contact the conservancy on behalf of the birds. Keith has been birding the area, which lies along Keillor Road in Benzie County, for nearly 40 years. He has found nesting grasshopper sparrows throughout that time. When he surveyed the area for the first Michigan Breeding Bird Atlas, the editor (ornithologist Ray Adams) told him that the site had the highest density of grasshopper sparrows in the state. Years later, upon learning of the conservancy's intent to purchase the property, Keith approached the organization and invited a staff member to hike it with him. He pointed out the importance of the land to the sparrow and urged the conservancy to manage it for this shy little bird with pale pink legs. The grasshopper sparrow is a species of special concern in Michigan, but it is just one of an entire suite of declining prairie-dependent birds. Carl Freeman, who has birded the area for two decades, noted that other species nesting on the site include savannah and vesper sparrows, meadowlarks and Brewer's blackbirds. He added that upland sandpipers nest on adjacent properties, and the last known loggerhead shrike nesting in the state occurred on this site. Upland nesting birds are losing ground because so much of the habitat upon which they depend has either been developed or has gone under the plow. The use of ethanol for auto fuel has accelerated this loss as acreage is converted to corn production. Even lands that have been set aside for these birds often suffer habitat degradation when non-native plants invade. It is therefore crucial that landowners who hold suitable nesting property for our prairie nesters maintain the quality of those lands. The grasshopper sparrows on the conservancy's Keillor Road tract have declined from peak numbers reached about 20 years ago, according to Keith. It is likely that habitat degradation from invasive plants like spotted knapweed is the cause. On a recent weekend, I revisited this place to see just how the conservancy is working to reverse that degradation. The day began at Watervale Inn, where the Benzie Audubon hosted a presentation by prairie specialist Vern Stephens. Vern's engaging PowerPoint program demonstrated the crucial connections between native grasses and forbs and the insects upon which birds and other wildlife depend. Native plants, he pointed out, host the insects required for nestling development. Last year, the conservancy contracted with Vern to develop a restoration plan for the site. The property has been divided into large sections, and each will be improved in its turn. This approach maintains intact areas to serve current nesters, while those undergoing improvement are treated with herbicides to eliminate unwanted invaders before seeding with native grasses. Following Vern's presentation, we went out to the site to check on progress. The process was only begun last fall, but the first section of little bluestem (a native prairie grass) has already greened up. When it is completed, the Keillor Road tract will include tall grass, short grass and intermediate sections of prairie. Then this great place will host higher numbers of even more species, including, perhaps, bobolinks (one of my very favorite birds). How do the birders who encouraged this effort on behalf of grasshopper sparrows feel about the changes in store? Carl said that he can't wait to see what happens there. And Keith said, "It's a wonderful thing to manage this property for a number of habitats which will make room for all of the upland species." As the habitat improves and the bird population increases, we should let the conservancy know we appreciate its efforts. And we must not forget to thank the Benzie birders for helping to make it happen. Kay Charter, of Omena, is executive director of Saving Birds Thru Habitat, an organization that teaches people how to help migrating birds whose populations are declining.
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