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10 Tips for the Newcomer Bird Watcher

Michigan is a year-round destination for viewing birds. Our 3,000 miles of shoreline, 11,000 interior lakes and 36,000 miles of rivers and streams contribute to the fact that there are 421 species of birds here.

In honor of National Bird Feeding Month, here are ten tips for the novice bird watcher collected from the Audubon Society:

  1. Start by  finding a field guide, whether online, through an app or at a bookstore, with pictures of species and their seasonal locations. Where do you want to travel?  Research the habitats you’ll be going to, and see what birds you should expect.
  2. Don’t limit yourself to a single season. Winter may be chilly, but it offers the opportunity to see near invasions of northern owl and winter finches. And in January and February specifically, you’ll find a dominance of gulls and wintering waterfowl.
  3. Whichever bird watching trail or park you travel to, an area that is relatively open without many tall trees is optimal.
  4. Consider purchasing a pair of binoculars. Some experts are able to identify a bird 100 yards away from them simply by the bird’s silhouette. Until you’ve reached that level of experience, binoculars will make your trip a successful one!
  5. Join a group. Go on a birding tour. Check out the Michigan Audubon’s calendar of events. Click here.
  6. Try not to focus on finding a single species, but rather on the opportunity to see many different types of birds. Each season hosts an opportunity; in May you could see more than 20 or more warbler species, and in winter you can spot the Northern Hawk and Boreal Owls.
  7. When you’re outside and you’ve spotted a bird, try answering a few questions to identify the species: What’s the bird’s approximate shape and size? What is the bird’s main color and color pattern? What area and habitat is the bird in?
  8. Birders love compiling lists. Keep a list, and track your sightings with key details. What did you see? The Michigan Audubon also provides bird watchers with a handy checklist of Michigan birds. Click here.
  9. Listen. Regardless of season or location, you’ll be able to hear wonderful bird calls. Take notes of the sounds you hear. Every sound is unique!
  10. Hoping to stay close to home? Attract birds to your backyard. Sunflower seeds and Thistle are effective in attracting birds to your yard. Birds also love suet and mealworms. English Gardens offers a large selection of bird houses, feeders and food that will transform your backyard into a private bird sanctuary!

Two Cardinals Sitting on Branch in Winter

Below are the five birding trails you should try in Michigan:

Beaver Island Birding Trail: As the largest island in Lake Michigan, Beaver Island is a critical stopover site for migratory birds (specifically the Warbler) flying up the lake on their way north to breeding grounds. This trail covers more than 12,000 acres of land. Click here to learn more.

Sleeping Bear Birding Trail: This trail is home to the Piping Plover, and endangered shorebird. The trail covers 71,000 acres of public land and 35 miles of beaches. Click here to learn more.

Superior Birding Trail: In this area you will be witness to the migration funnel for raptors, waterfowl, shorebirds, and passerines. Anchored by Whitefish Point in the UP, the trail covers over 150 miles.  Click here to learn more.

Saginaw Bay Birding Trail: This trail covers a total of 142 miles. The large area of trails support diverse habitats and over 200 species of birds, making it a birder’s paradise. Click here to learn more. 

Sunrise Coast Birding Trail: Stretching along U.S. 23, the trail incorporates 145 miles. The trail also includes the Kirtland’s Warbler habitat, where you may get an exciting glimpse of the protected species. Click here to learn more.

Black and White Stripe Bird on Blooming Tree Branch

The Michigan Audubon provides a free version of the American Birding Association’s Guide, A Birder’s Guide to Michigan. Download it here.

Download it, print it out and get discovering!

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English Garden Nurseries & Garden Centers Serve the Greater Clinton Twp., Dearborn Heights, Royal Oak, West Bloomfield, Eastpointe, and Plymouth Ann Arbor Michigan Areas

Providing garden centers complete with full service landscaping, seasonal holiday stores including their enchanting Christmas Stores, and most locations even offer a full service in house florist

English Gardens Detroit MI area nurseries & garden centers are not only the areas largest garden nurseries, but they offer the largest selection of products and services found anywhere in the Clinton Twp., Dearborn Heights, Royal Oak, West Bloomfield, Eastpointe, and Plymouth Ann Arbor Michigan regions providing full service garden centers, full service landscaping and landscape design, seasonal holiday stores including their enchanting Christmas Stores, the largest selection of Patio Furniture in Michigan, and most locations even offer a full service in house florist for flower arrangements for every day as well as those special occasions such as wedding flowers, event flowers, sympathy and funeral flower arrangements, prom flowers, and more!

Our nurseries and garden centers have the areas largest selection of plants, flowers, shrubs, annuals, perennials, and patio furniture. Garden supplies are in abundance, with everything from garden tools and accessories, to garden and potting soil, mulches, bagged garden stone, pots and so much more. We have everything you need for your outdoor gardening needs.

Landscaping? Count on the professional landscape contractors and designers at English Gardens to Make Your Property Beautiful! We offer both DIY landscaping assistance and full service landscape design and construction with our in house landscaping company.

Our floral designers can create perfect floral arrangements for weddings, events, funerals, proms and the like. Make the moment beautiful.

Our Christmas Stores in addition to being one of the areas best holiday experiences, are filled with live and life-like artificial Christmas trees, including flocked artificial Christmas trees, and those sometimes hard to come by 9 foot flocked artificial Christmas trees, as well as a large, ready to take home inventory, of 3 foot artificial Christmas trees, 4 foot artificial Christmas trees, 5 foot artificial Christmas trees, 7.5 foot artificial Christmas trees, 9 foot artificial Christmas trees and 12 foot artificial Christmas trees, and all of the other holiday items you need like Christmas lights, decorations, Christmas wreaths & garland of all types, and unique gifts. Make the Holiday beautiful!

English Gardens store by store offerings in the Clinton Twp., Dearborn Heights, Royal Oak, West Bloomfield, Eastpointe, and Plymouth Ann Arbor Michigan areas;

Clinton Twp. Garden Centers:

Dearborn Heights Garden Center:

Royal Oak Garden Center:

West Bloomfield Garden Center:

Eastpointe Garden Center:

Plymouth Ann Arbor Garden Center:

Be sure to visit any one of our Garden Centers for the largest selection of products and services the area has to offer. If you have any questions please call one of our stores directly in Clinton Twp., Dearborn Heights, Royal Oak, West Bloomfield, Eastpointe, and Plymouth Ann Arbor Michigan for friendly, prompt help.

Clinton Township, MI

Address
44850 Garfield Rd. at Hall Rd.
Clinton Twp., Michigan 48038

Phone Numbers
Phone: (586) 286-6100
Fax: (586) 286-0033

Dearborn Heights, MI

Address
22650 Ford Rd. at Outer Dr.
Dearborn Heights, Michigan 48127

Phone Numbers
Nursery: (313) 278-4433
Florist: (313) 565-8133
Fax: (313) 278-0459

Eastpointe, MI

Address
22501 Kelly Rd. at Nine Mile Rd.
Eastpointe, Michigan

Phone Numbers
Phone: (586) 771-4200
Fax: (586) 771-4894

Plymouth/Ann Arbor, MI

Address
9900 Ann Arbor Road W.
Plymouth, Michigan

Phone Numbers
Phone: (734) 453-5500

Royal Oak, MI

Address
4901 Coolidge Hwy,
Royal Oak, Michigan

Phone Numbers
Phone: (248) 280-9500
Fax: (248) 280-2688

West Bloomfield, MI

Address
6370 Orchard Lake Rd. at Maple
West Bloomfield Township, Michigan

Phone Numbers
Phone: (248) 851-7506
Fax: (248) 539-4738

Patio Furniture from English Gardens of Michigan

Patio Lounge Chairs
Patio Furniture Showrooms
Bistro Sets
Outdoor Dining Sets
Outdoor Sectionals

Make Life Beautiful! Come to English Gardens Today!

Don’t forget to come visit our enchanted Christmas Stores! We have by far the areas largest display of pre-lit and unlit Christmas trees, both Live and Artificial Life-Like Christmas trees in all sizes and varieties, the areas largest selection of Christmas lights in a variety of lengths, sizes, bulb types including energy efficient, and long lasting ,state of the art, LED Christmas lights, Christmas Garland, Christmas wreaths, Christmas decorations, and that perfect gift for that special someone!

Make Christmas Beautiful! Come to English Gardens This Christmas, It’s Fun For The Whole Family!

When it comes to the holidays other than Christmas, you won’t be disappointed, From July 4th, to Labor Day, Columbus Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Easter, Mothers and Fathers Day and more, you guessed it, you can count on English Gardens to Make the Holiday Beautiful!

Make the Holidays Beautiful! Come to English Gardens!

At the end of the day, we all enjoy putting a smile on our, and other’s faces, come to English Gardens at any one of our convenient locations and Make Today Beautiful!

Make Today Beautiful! Come to English Gardens!

Christmas at English Gardens

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