Ken and all, Thank you so much for this clear, concise summary of this issue. I have some friends I am trying to convince to not mow too soon, so will use your words there, too.
Can anyone tell me what is a "safe" date for mowing? Until when should I ask them to delay? Thanks, Sandy Podulka At 04:07 PM 6/15/2021, Kenneth V. Rosenberg wrote: >Linda, thanks for bringing this mowing to >everyones attention. In a nutshell, what is >happening today in those fields, repeated over >the entire U.S., is the primary cause of >continued steep declines in Bobolink and other grassland bird populations. > > > >Last year, because of the delays in mowing due >to Covid, the fields along Freeze and Hanshaw >Roads were full of nesting birds, including many >nesting Bobolinks that were actively feeding >young in the nests at the end of June. In the >first week of July, Cornell decided to mow all >the fields. Jody Enck and I wrote letters and >met with several folks at Cornell in the various >departments in charge of managing those fields >(Veterinary College, University Farm Services) >although they listened politely to our concerns >for the birds, they went ahead and mowed that >week as dozens of female bobolinks and other >birds hovered helplessly over the tractors with >bills filled food for their almost-fledged young. > > > >The same just happened over the past couple of >days this year, only at an earlier stage in the >nesting cycle most birds probably have (had) >recently hatched young in the nest. While mowing >is occurring across the entire region as part of >normal agricultural practices (with continued >devastating consequences for field-nesting >birds), the question is whether Cornell >University needs to be contributing to this >demise, while ostensibly supporting biodiversity >conservation through other unrelated programs. >Jody and I presented an alternative vision, >where the considerable acres of fields owned by >the university across Tompkins County could >serve as a model for conserving populations of >grassland birds, pollinators, and other >biodiversity, but the people in charge of this >management were not very interested in these options. > > > >And there we have it, a microcosm of the >continental demise of grassland birds playing >out in our own backyard, illustrating the >extreme challenges of modern Ag practices that >are totally incompatible with healthy bird >populations. I urge CayugaBirders to make as >much noise as possible, and maybe someone will listen. > > > >KEN > > > >Ken Rosenberg (he/him/his) > >Applied Conservation Scientist > >Cornell Lab of Ornithology > >American Bird Conservancy > >Fellow, Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future > ><mailto:k...@cornell.edu>k...@cornell.edu > >Wk: 607-254-2412 > >Cell: 607-342-4594 > > > > > >From: bounce-125714085-3493...@list.cornell.edu ><bounce-125714085-3493...@list.cornell.edu> on >behalf of Linda Orkin <wingmagi...@gmail.com> >Date: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 3:02 PM >To: CAYUGABIRDS-L <cayugabird...@list.cornell.edu> >Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed. > >After a couple year hiatus in which the Freese >Road fields across from the gardens have been >mowed late in the season allowing at least >Bobolinks to be done with their nesting and for >grassland birds to be lured into a false feeling >of security so they have returned and Ive >counted three singing meadowlarks for the first >time in years, Cornell has returned to early >mowing there as of today. And so the mayhem >ensues. How many more multitudes of birds will >die before we believe our own eyes and ears. Mow >the grass while its still nutritious but are we >paying attention to who is being fed. Grass >taken from the land to pass through animals and >in that inefficient process turning to food for humans. > >Linda Orkin >Ithaca NY >-- > >Cayugabirds-L List Info: ><http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME>http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME >http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES ><http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm>http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm > >ARCHIVES: >1) ><http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html>http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html >2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds >3) ><http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html>http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html > >Please submit your observations to eBird: ><http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ > >-- >-- >Cayugabirds-L List Info: ><http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME>Welcome and Basics ><http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES>Rules and Information ><http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm>Subscribe, > >Configuration and Leave >Archives: ><http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html>The >Mail Archive ><http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds>Surfbirds ><http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html>BirdingOnThe.Net >Please submit your observations to <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>eBird! >-- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
