Date: Mon, 23 Dec 2002 11:05:10 -0500 (EST) Subject: Douglas-Evans Nature Preserve From: "John Gilbert" To: Here's a suggestion for a birding spot in suburban Detroit (Beverly Hills): Douglas-Evans Nature Preserve is located on the west side of Evergreen Road, between 13 Mile Road and 14 Mile Road. It is small, and you have to park at the side of the road. I've seen many birds there including: Indigo Bunting Rough-Winged swallow Black-crowned Night Heron Magnolia warbler Yellow-rumped warbler Great-crested flycatcher Belted Kingfish Red-tailed hawk Great-horned owl? and many more. Neil Gilbert gilbertfamily@truevine.net ---------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Joseph E. Faggan" To: "Bruce M. Bowman" Subject: Re: Douglas-Evans Nature Preserve Date sent: Tue, 24 Dec 2002 19:57:22 -0500 The main branch of the Rouge runs through the preserve. Beneath the preserve is an underground equivalent of about a five story building built a few years ago to contain excess storm water runoff and treat it before discharging it to the Rouge.. It seems that some parts of adjacent Bloomfield Township have a combined storm- and sanitary sewer, so that when a 100-year rain occurs every few years the crud from the sanitary part would spill untreated into the river. So now the Township is in better shape, and I and my fellow Beverly Hills taxpayers are helping financially. The preserve is primarily the restored landscape from all that construction. Beverly Hills is quite a leafy suburb, so no, the preserve is not an island of trees by any means. To tell the truth, I have been meaning to check the place out and feel a bit negligent in not having done so. I will endeavor to do so in the spring and give you a report. But from what I know of the neighborhood and this area I don't expect anything extraordinary. Joseph E. Faggan Beverly Hills, Michigan jfaggan@yahoo.com > > From: "Joseph E. Faggan" > > To: "Bruce M. Bowman" > > Subject: Re: Douglas-Evans Nature Preserve > > Date: Mon, 23 Dec 2002 19:40:07 -0500 > > > My main comment is that the place is within a (rather brisk) > > walking distance of my house and I've never been there. > > Shame on me! My other comments: a) there is only parking > > room for about two cars; and this is on the shoulder of > > Evergreen b) I note John Gilbert put a question mark after > > Great Horned Owl. I occasionally hear one in the middle of > > the night, and frequently heard them in years gone by. So > > they're definitely in the vicinity. Joseph E. Faggan Beverly > > Hills, Michigan jfaggan@yahoo.com ----------------------------------------------------------------- Last winter there were a couple of messages here about Douglas- Evans, prompting Bruce to ask if anyone had any further information about the place. I replied, with minimal embarrassment, that although I lived within walking distance I had never been there, and said I would check it out in the Spring, if Spring ever came. I made eleven brief visits-none more than an hour-from April 16 to May 28. Based on these visits the place is surprisingly birdless and I would not recommend a special trip. I saw only 25 species, and not more than 9 on any one day, although on one day a number of warbler types eluded me by ducking behind leaves. If my notes are accurate-and I'm sure they are-I didn't even see a Robin. The Preserve is located in Beverly Hills, on Evergreen Road between 13 and 14 Mile Roads. It consists of 18.6 acres, according to the literature available at the entrance. About one-third of it is grassland and the rest woodland. There is some really nice riparian habitat, as the main branch of the Rouge runs around and through it. The grassland is mowed twice a year. It was mowed in mid-May, which I would think would make it pretty tough for grassland nesting birds. Under the grassland is a 4 million gallon stormwater retention and treatment plant, which I expect to continue helping to pay for for the rest of my life. The only parking in immediate proximity is on the shoulder of busy Evergreen. There is only room for about four cars. Douglas-Evans 4/16/03-5/28/03: Canada Goose Wood Duck Mallard Turkey Vulture Ring-billed Gull Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Eastern Phoebe Eastern Kingbird Barn Swallow Blue Jay American Crow Gray Catbird Palm Warbler Black-and-White Warbler American Redstart Myrtle Warbler Yellow Warbler Scarlet Tanager Cardinal Red-winged Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Baltimore Oriole American Goldfinch --- Joseph E. Faggan Beverly Hills, Michigan jfaggan@yahoo.com ----------------------------------------------------------------- From: RAWolinski@aol.com Date sent: Wed, 1 Jan 2003 20:09:33 EST Subject: Re: Douglas-Evans Nature Preserve To: bbowman@umich.edu, birders@umich.edu The major portion of the nature preserve as it stands today was created after the installation of a RTB (retention treatment basin) was installed. Wooded riparian habitat and a portion of created prairie grassland covers the interior of the site surrounding the above ground portion of the basin itself. Birding here is good during migration periods and some of the species that utilize the site during the summer months are hard to come by in this urban area as nesting species (Song Sparrow, Gray Catbird, and others). A good walk around the site will occupy about half and hour or a little more of your time depending upon your interest in walking the trails along the edge of the Rouge River. It should be noted that spring migration along this portion of the Rouge River has proven well worthwhile in past years, particularly if you visit Lincoln Park, and that portion of a walking trail leading from Woodward downstream towards Lincoln Park. Efforts have been made to enhance the area through the addition of plantings of native plants. With such a narrow, constricted riparian corridor, migrants get funneled into this area and good views can be had of warblers, vireos, flycatchers, and other migrants that would you would not expect to find in this area. Hope this helps. RAW