Specifically about local grassland birds v hay-cutting: You may have heard of or met Reuben Stoltzfus, an avid and expert birder who lives in Ovid. He’s Amish and he doesn’t post on Cayugabirds-L, but he does have ways to read it (Reuben, I hope I don’t misrepresent you or make you uncomfortable by writing this!). While he makes his living as a roofer, not directly as a farmer, he does own some farmland, some of which is leased out and some for his family, who keep a few horses for local transportation and a dairy cow or two. He once described to me his difficult decision-making process of when and where to cut for hay or to prevent weeds from seeding. He observed birds (Grasshopper Sparrows and Bobolinks, as I recall) to determine as exactly as possible where they were nesting and how far along they were. And he both delayed cutting and left some small areas standing that still had active nests.
I’m sure that Reuben’s passion, knowledge, and relatively small scale helped make this possible, but I wonder to what degree this could be scaled up. Could birders survey fields to tell willing farmers what birds were nesting where for how long, allowing some cutting to proceed while other cutting was delayed or in small areas omitted for the birds’ sake? I would prioritize the species in the most trouble, such as Bobolinks, certain sparrows, and (should we be so lucky) Upland Sandpipers, but be more willing to sacrifice abundant Red-winged Blackbirds. That may sound cruel, but decisions are made all the time in agriculture as to who may live and who will die. On the scale of my yard and garden, I try to be aware of which plants I pull up and which I allow to grow for food (for humans for birds or for insects), for beauty, or for native diversity. I try hard to keep out mammals who would eat my food, but those I catch within the triple-fenced garden are lucky to get out alive. Sometimes the agricultural decision (by others) is to label as “weeds” all broad-leafed plants which are not genetically engineered, regardless of whether they are invasive exotics or they are native plants necessary to the life cycle of native animals, such as Milkweeds for Monarchs, when using Round-up herbicide. Or it’s a decision to label as “pests” all insects (maybe even all arthropods?) including the wasps and other predatory insects which help keep other insects in check, when using broad-spectrum pesticides in a widespread yet standard manner. Some insecticides genetically engineered into crops can kill insects when the insects harmlessly gather pollen. Some insecticides, called neonicatinamides, applied to seeds before they are planted will kill insects that eat any of the grown plant, and that insecticide can also pollute the groundwater. Tilling deliberately kills plants. Applying chemical fertilizers can lead to run-off which causes algal blooms that de-oxygenate water bodies and kill all aerobic animals. It’s incredible the breadth and depth of killing by agriculture. And without insects, a whole lot of birds are in trouble. Some general thoughts: We all depend on agriculture (I assume that, despite the wide readership of CayugaBirds-L, there are no complete hunter-gatherers subscribed). Agriculture is the diversion of natural biological systems toward human purposes. Agriculture therefore subtracts from natural ecosystems, and from populations of wild plants and animals. To the extent Agriculture has encroached (and the percentage of potentially arable land which is already in agriculture is very high), native species that previously had sustainable populations no longer have access to extensive intact ecosystems like where they evolved. And we are all, to a greater or lesser extent, responsible. What can we do? My approach is to try to live lightly. * Buy only what you need, and use it as thoroughly as you can. Compost the inedible stuff and use the compost to grow new food. A lot of food in the US is wasted, 40% is the number I’ve seen, although I’m not sure what was counted. Although I feed birds, I don’t have pets, so what I consider necessary is low. * Live low on the food chain: eat lots of plants. In general, eating farmed animals has about an order of magnitude greater environmental impact, because the farmed animal must eat so much farmed plant matter in order to grow and sustain itself before we eat it. When eating meat, I prefer poultry, which is far more efficient than beef, and I eat local small scale pork, which I also think has a lower impact than beef. Am I perfect? Far from it; I love cheese. * Buy organic to avoid poisoning the environment. Or at least get food grown with Integrated Pest Management (IPU), which chooses the least environmentally destructive method to use in the most targeted way to address only the pest problems which are actually found to exist, as opposed to wholesale applications regardless of whether or not there was any demonstrated pest problem. Grow your own food without poisons. * Buy local. I prefer to buy the sunflower seed grown in Lansing rather than think of depriving birds in some other part of the country to feed birds here. Use money more to support small scale growers who may share our concerns, and less money toward packaging, polluting transportation, corporations which maximize extraction and profits by externalizing their costs (getting away with not paying the cost of their damage) to the environment (e.g. ripping out hedgerows; applying poisons) and to people (e.g. keeping farmers in hock; underpaying immigrant labor). A diverse local environment may be able to absorb the impact of scattered and well-run small farms, whereas the manure from factory farms (cows, pigs, or poultry) is just too voluminous, concentrated, and toxic (compare the manure we saw a few years ago spread on fields that would attract Snow Buntings in winter, to the vile liquid which larger dairies now spew over vast areas). Among the animals I have seen in my garden are American Goldfinches taking bites of Swiss Chard leaves, but they don’t eat so much as to be pests in my biased opinion. - - Dave Nutter > On Jun 16, 2021, at 9:30 AM, Rachel Lodder <rachel.lod...@outlook.com> wrote: > > Hi everyone, > > Very, very well put Ken. It is indeed a significantly tricky balance. My > partner and I are organic grain (and hay) farmers in the Ithaca area (~1400 > acres, involving numerous large fields), who make our living 100% from > farming. We would also consider ourselves bird enthusiasts, and regular > birdwatchers, who do our best to be sensitive to environmental and > biodiversity issues (part of the reason that we farm organically). Not only > that, I own and ride horses. The Venn diagram in this case is profound! > > But seriously, my point is to stress how well you expressed the various sides > of the issue, and directed the passion that people are expressing toward > having a positive impact. And that Thor and I are real-life, local farmers > trying to do our best in this balancing act and are open to talking with > anyone about these issues. We have a lot of experience with conservation > programs in the Farm Bill (NRCS and FSA), and would be happy to talk with > other farmers (or anyone) about them. > > You offered some great ways for individuals to have an input. One point that > I would like to add to this discussion is the actual price of food. People > want food that is inexpensive - and we should all be able to afford good, > healthy food!! - but food that is produced in ways that incorporate > conservation methods is probably going to cost more. How you shop and where > you spend is one way that you can have an impact. > > So much to say about this. Feel free to get in touch! > Appreciative of all the concern, > Rachel and Thor > > > From: bounce-125714663-81221...@list.cornell.edu > <bounce-125714663-81221...@list.cornell.edu> on behalf of Kenneth V. > Rosenberg <k...@cornell.edu> > Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 11:32 PM > To: Geo Kloppel <geoklop...@gmail.com>; CAYUGABIRDS-L > <cayugabird...@list.cornell.edu> > Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed. > > Hi everyone, > > Having fueled some of the passion about hay-cutting and grassland bird > conservation, I wanted to clarify a few points. Thanks to the many who > provided resources and links to additional information. I am not an expert on > farming or legal issues, but I can provide a bit more perspective on the > grassland bird issues. What is happening today has happened for decades and > is standard agricultural practice over most of the eastern U.S. The > challenges are complex, both for the farmers and those interested in > conservation. > > Most importantly, it is not fair or correct to blame the local farmers, or > even those at Cornell trying to manage the hayfields along Freese and Hanshaw > Roads – these are indeed hayfields, grown for the horses at the Equine > Research Lab, and the growers are under the same constraints regarding timing > and nutritional value of the hay (the horses won’t eat it if it’s mowed too > late). Individual farmers trying to eek out a living and keep their farms in > production cannot be expected to sacrifice economically for the sake of birds > or other wildlife – a common resource for us all. This is the fundamental > problem. > > The solutions, therefore, need to come at the societal and policy levels. If > more of society puts greater value on birds and other nature, then this can > become part of the economic structure that supports both agriculture and > biodiversity conservation. Much easier said than done! There is a > complicated array of Farm Bill and other incentive programs that encourage > farmers to create or set aside wildlife habitat, but these programs are > obscure to most farmers – including the program managers at Cornell we met > with last year. Here is a link to a guide that was just released about the > latest Farm Bill programs: > https://nabci-us.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/2018-2023-Farm-Bill-Guide-FINAL-LOW-RES-052621.pdf > > As Geo and others point out, the bird part is pretty well known and several > good resources exist – the timing of breeding, safe dates for mowing, field > size requirements for each species, preferred grass types, etc. The economic > side is much more difficult, with pressures to produce on every acre and less > and less room for nature in the agricultural matrix. And as Geo stated, > without viable farming there would be no “grassland” or grassland birds in > the Northeast. (the lost potential for managing state-owned lands for these > disappearing species has also been noted). > > As for our local situation with the Cornell University fields, I was not > quite correct to say earlier that the managers of these particular fields > were not interested in conservation options – but they did not have the > option to make those decisions and could not afford to make short-term > changes in their management. This is where our local bird community can help > – both in terms of providing specific information on the birds and guidelines > for mowing, etc., but more importantly, to let the university and town > leaders know that we value the birds and the habitats on these lands. As a > land-grant university, and with the lead by-line on the Science article > documenting the loss of 3 billion birds, it is not unreasonable to ask > Cornell to be part of the solution -- finding ways that ensure agricultural > productivity while helping to stem the plummeting populations of grassland > birds. And it would be great for Cornell to model these solutions on its own > extensive farmland. > > I hope some of the passion expressed today will have a positive impact. > > KEN > > > > > Ken Rosenberg (he/him/his) > Applied Conservation Scientist > Cornell Lab of Ornithology > American Bird Conservancy > Fellow, Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future > k...@cornell.edu > Wk: 607-254-2412 > Cell: 607-342-4594 > > > From: bounce-125714597-3493...@list.cornell.edu > <bounce-125714597-3493...@list.cornell.edu> on behalf of Geo Kloppel > <geoklop...@gmail.com> > Date: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 9:53 PM > To: CAYUGABIRDS-L <cayugabird...@list.cornell.edu> > Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed. > > I was about to say that anyone who wants to discuss the matter cogently with > actual farmers and hayfield managers would do well to consult the Resources > page on the Cayuga Bird Club website, where this link lives: > Cornell Cooperative Extension has published a very helpful document on > Hayfield Management and Grassland Bird Conservation. > > Alas! That link is broken. But here’s one that still works: > > https://www.nyfoa.org/application/files/6314/7948/6092/HayfieldsGrassland_Birds_3MB.pdf > > More generally, let’s remember that without field culture and haymaking, most > of what we call grassland in this part of the country would revert to forest > cover, where Bobolinks and Meadowlarks would not be found. > > > -Geo > > > Sent from my iPhone > > > On Jun 15, 2021, at 6:07 PM, Sandy Podulka <s...@cornell.edu> wrote: > > 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 everyone’s 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 > > 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 I’ve 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 it’s 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/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/ > > -- > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to 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/ --
