August-September 2025 • Nebraskaland 49
starting to look a bit shabby." Grace
promptly explained that his "shabby"
was our "habitat."
For us, enjoying the bugs and birds
drawn to the sunflowers outweighs
the social risks. In early summer,
hen pheasants lead their broods
into the sunflower patches. In the
openness beneath the shading canopy,
vulnerable chicks can wander freely
and forage on plentiful grasshoppers
and other insects, all while sheltered
from the hot sun, wily foxes and
hovering hawks. In late summer, bees,
butterflies — including migrating
monarchs — and other pollinators are
attracted to the flowers' sweet nectar
and abundant pollen. While pheasant
hunting the patches in fall and winter,
I often see sparrows and goldfinches
flitting about, plucking the calorie-
rich, oily seeds still clinging to the
dried flower heads. And lastly, I can
imagine deer mice and meadow voles
rustling below the stalks on a cold,
calm, moonlit night, searching for
fallen seeds.
Although the common sunflower is
an eyesore or a weed to some, for those
attuned to the summer hum of insects
or the brown flash of a winter sparrow,
it brings unapologetic pleasure.
N
Painted lady butterfl ies feed on nectar, favoring tall plants like common sunfl ower.
They migrate south in fall to overwinter in Mexico.
