Last week, my 9-year-old daughter, Mary, and I went for a hike at the Randall Davey Audubon Center in Santa Fe. It was midday (not as good a time as early morning for birding) and we only had about an hour, so I wasn't sure if we'd see many birds. Boy was I wrong. First, we wandered around their beautiful bird-feeding area and wildflower garden, and in five minutes saw dozens of broad-tailed and rufous hummingbirds at the feeders. A scrub jay came to the seed feeder and loudly announced his presence.

We then started around the loop hike and soon veered off onto the Bear Canyon path. Just after that path became "primitive," as a sign announced, we came to a very narrow creek just to the right of the path. Mary and I stood in that spot for about 20 minutes watching an amazing bird show. Imagine a 9-year-old watching birds for 20 minutes and loving it! Honestly, I think our interest was held by the magic of the place. Let me set the stage: First of all, it was really hot. "Our spot" was densely wooded, so we were in the shade. There was a gentle breeze, and few people were around. The birds acted like we weren't even there. It felt like paradise.

We saw several families of birds. Four or five yellow-rumped warblers splashed in the shallow water and flew back and forth to the overhanging trees and shrubs. Red-breasted nuthatches landed on branches several feet from us, and a busy family of mountain chickadees flitted from water to branch to bush and back again. There was constant action and chatter.

It was a reminder to me of the importance of habitat. Even with the best feeder in the world in your backyard, filled with the best bird seed, without water and dense natural cover you won't see this variety of birds. Adding a birdbath helps, and creating an overgrown yard full of native trees and shrubs will lure in more birds, but spots like Randall Davey offer something unique: a peaceful place everyone can enjoy. Spots like this are important, not only to our birds but to our community and to our souls.

Places like Randall Davey Audubon Center are easy to take for granted. We assume they will always be there. The center exists because of the hard work of many staff members and volunteers, and the support of generous members of our community. My store has donated seed, feeders, birdbaths and money for years, and we co-sponsor their monthly bird talks and walks. It's good business for us to do so. The trouble is, contributions to Randall Davey Audubon Center are way down this year. You can probably blame the recession. Take some time to enjoy this beautiful place, and if you feel inclined to donate or volunteer, call center manager Linda Newberry at 505-983-4609. Randall Davey Audubon Center is located at 1800 Upper Canyon Road.

Anne Schmauss is the co-owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Santa Fe and the co-author of the 2008 book For the Birds: A Month by Month Guide to Attracting Birds to Your Backyard. She is a regular contributor to Birder's World magazine and can be heard every Sunday morning at 10:38 on NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday on KUNM 89.9.