Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Dave Nutter]

Hi All, 

Reuben Stoltzfus called me yesterday evening and clarified a few points about 
his experience with mowing v grassland birds. 

He agrees with all the folks who said that walking through fields to look for 
nests is not a good idea due to ineffectiveness and creating paths for 
predators. I forget whether he included trampling the hay, but I’m guessing 
that’s also an issue.

He was able to avoid mowing Bobolinks in part because of the machinery he uses 
which, as I understand it, moves more slowly than non-Amish farmers’ machines, 
allows him to see & hear birds while he makes a strong effort to do so, and 
allows him to react quickly enough to stop or turn aside to avoid mowing the 
immediate area where a female Bobolink has just flushed. I forgot to ask how 
big an area he left around each flushed female and how effective it seemed in 
allowing fledging to succeed or whether it seemed that the exposure led to them 
being taken by predators. 

He found that within his 10 acre field Bobolink nests appeared to be 
concentrated only about 40 to 80 feet from the edge of the field in most 
instances, which seems paradoxical given that Bobolinks require large fields. 

He did not find nests of Grasshopper Sparrows. 

The question of how to balance hay production with grassland bird nesting is 
not easy, as the discussion over the last several days has demonstrated. Among 
the ironies is that the eastern US would have very few areas of grasslands 
large enough for several species if not for hay production, yet if cutting 
schedules prevent reproduction, then these places are a trap for the birds. 
Meanwhile, agriculture has made the vast majority of the prairies which were 
those grassland birds’ original range unavailable for nesting. 

- - Dave Nutter


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ARCHIVES:
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Please submit your observations to eBird:
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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Patrick Owen McNally]

Federal and state lands are managed in accordance with management plans that 
are updated periodically and usually with a public input process. Anyone with a 
specific interest in an area can provide input.

NYS DEC does apparently already prioritize grassland breeding bird habitat.

Here is an example of a DEC area I noticed was being mowed unnecessarily early 
and how I responded to encourage them to change their management plan.

- Pat McNally


wildl...@dec.ny.gov


I would like to draw to your attention an issue that I believe is being 
overlooked in the stewardship of our state's wildlife.

As you know, songbirds are in decline throughout much of the NE. A large factor 
for many species is the loss of open grassland. Farmed hayfields are 
problematic because they are harvested while many songbirds are still nesting.

New York State maintains a tremendous amount of open grasslands in parks, 
rights-of-way and recreation areas. Many areas are mowed before songbirds have 
had an opportunity to complete their annual reproduction.

One area in particular that I frequent is at Nanticoke Reservoir in northern 
Broome County. I notice it is mowed at or around Memorial Day weekend each 
year. I observe hundreds of Bobolinks and Redwing-blackbirds at this location 
and each year their nests are wiped out before the young have fledged. I see no 
reason that this mowing could not wait until the second week in July, after 
fledging has occurred.

I request that you review your management plan for this site (and all others in 
the region/state) to consider songbird reproduction as a much higher priority.

Thank you for your attention,

- Pat McNally


From: Goeller, Andrew (DEC) 
mailto:andrew.goel...@dec.ny.gov>>
Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2019 1:36:12 PM
To: Patrick Owen McNally
Subject: FW: Protect Songbird Habitat - Delay Mowing



Pat:


Thank you for corresponding with us regarding the interests of grassland bird 
habitat management.  The Department manages grasslands on many public lands 
throughout the State, including the Nanticoke Lake Multiple Use Area in the 
Town of Lisle, Broome County.  We have great interest in managing grasslands 
for breeding bird habitat and we typically delay mowing until August 1 each 
year to avoid disturbance of the nesting birds.  However, some grasslands are 
mowed on an earlier and more frequent schedule due to specific management 
objectives or safety concerns.  Dams, levees, emergency spillways, and 
roadsides are some examples of areas that are mowed more frequently to maintain 
the integrity of the infrastructure.



Your correspondence initiated a review of the Nanticoke Lake MUA mowing 
schedule.  Some of the grassland areas on this property were being mowed 
earlier than desired for protection of bird habitat.  The schedule has been 
adjusted to prioritize the objectives of protecting grassland birds.  However, 
please recognize those areas functioning as infrastructure, including the dam 
and emergency spillway, will not be subject to the delayed mowing schedule.



The Long Pond State Forest is located near Nanticoke Lake MUA, in the Town of 
Smithville, Chenango County.  This property has nearly 300 acres of grasslands 
that are managed almost exclusively for bird habitat.  Except for the areas of 
infrastructure, the mowing of these grasslands is delayed until August 1, and 
sometimes until August 15, to protect nesting birds.  These lands are 
recognized as an Important Bird Area, providing habitat for a wide variety of 
species..



Thank you again for your interest in NYS public lands and please let me know if 
you have additional questions.

Andy

Andrew Goeller

Regional Forester (R7), CF



New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

2715 NYS Route 80, Sherburne, NY 13460

P: (607) 674-4036 x 603 | F:  (607) 
674-9034 | 
andrew.goel...@dec.ny.gov<mailto:andrew.goel...@dec.ny.gov>



1285 Fisher Avenue, Cortland, NY 13045, NY 13460

P: (607) 753-3095 x 216 | F:  (607) 
753-8532

www.dec.ny.gov<http://www.dec.ny.gov/>






From: bounce-125723907-88968...@list.cornell.edu 
 on behalf of Dave Nutter 

Sent: Monday, June 21, 2021, 12:59
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

I totally respect Anne’s experienced perspective. It would be a big challenge 
to even approximately locate any nest without disrupting the crop. Also it’s 
possible that Reuben’s mowing machinery was slower, quieter, & more 
maneuverable than what most farmers use, lending itself to guidance while 
cutting. So, maybe his tactic is not easily applicable everywhere.

Seaside Sparrows attempt to nest in salt marshes as early as they can. They 
routinely get wiped out by the very high tide associated with a full moon. Then 
they immediately re-nest, which just allows them to fledge young by the next 
full moon. Can grassland birds similarly fit a breeding cycle into the time it 
takes a s

Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Jody Enck]

Savannah Sparrows will return first, followed by Meadowlarks, and then
Bobolinks (usually).  By the time the regrown grass is knee high, all those
birds will be back using it.

Last point.  Even just tackling the issue on Cornell land (with some key
private landowners as demonstration areas, perhaps) will take tremendous
capacity.  It's not a job for one person or even one type of person.  We
need grassland CHAMPIONS to lead, organize, and make decisions.  We need
AMBASSADORS to communicate with the key players and to relay our interests,
concerns, and priorities, and who can identify and enlist allies if
needed.  We need GAWK STARS who go beyond just looking at wildlife, and who
can turn their interest and passion into data for decision-making by
monitoring fields for the birds of interest.  Along the way, we need to
inform DIRT WARRIORS who manage the land and vegetation to provide the best
possible chance of conserving these birds.  What role do you want to take
on?

Jody



Jody W. Enck, PhD
Conservation Social Scientist, and
Founder of the Sister Bird Club Network
607-379-5940


On Mon, Jun 21, 2021 at 2:28 PM Alicia  wrote:

> *Paying farmers**:*  It's worth considering paying farmers to manage
> farmland to accommodate nesting birds, but it isn't $10 per farmer, farmers
> were paid $50/acre for the 2019 growing season by the Bobolink Project.
> Bobolinks like large fields, the bigger the better., so the Bobolink
> Project requires a minimum grassland field size of 20 acres.  At 2019
> rates, that meant one minimally sized field cost $1000/yr.  Upland
> sandpipers generally require 100 acres - $5000/yr.  Probably why in 2021
> their fundraising protected only 1,159 acres statewide - much better than
> nothing, but not a large area.  That is in Massachusetts and acreage
> protection could cost more or less here, but probably not much less since
> grassland is farmed to produce hay, which is not cheap.
>
> *Discouraging birds from nesting**:* With regard to Geo's point on
> discouraging nesting where mowing will be done, MassAudubon, which runs
> the Bobolink Project, recommends
> <https://www.massaudubon.org/content/download/19413/274073/file/Best-Management-Practices_Grasslands.pdf>
> :
>
> If a field must be mowed during June or early July—and we strongly hope
> such will not be the case for lands held in the public trust by
> municipalities, land trusts, and conservation NGOs—intentionally make the
> site unsuitable for grassland-nesting birds by mowing every 2 or 3 weeks,
> beginning in late May and continuing through mid-July. Discouraging birds
> from nesting on such sites will prevent them from being lured into
> ecological traps; hopefully the frequent mowing will force them to
> relocate to other, more bird-friendly location.
>
> Not clear they are basing this on any particular evidence.  Also, I don't
> understand how this would work for hay, but perhaps they mean non-farmers?
>
> *Targeting grassland not in cultivation**:*  Landowners who aren't
> farming their land might not even need to be paid to adopt a bird-friendly
> mowing schedule, or they might accept a much lower payment since they
> aren't out of pocket when they change how and when they mow.  Does it make
> sense to begin by looking into efforts made by other bird clubs and
> organizations to these landowners, and then spend time on outreach to
> state, not for profit, and private landowners?  There are plenty of
> grassland management guides to borrow from (for example MassAudubon's
> <https://www.massaudubon.org/content/download/19413/274073/file/Best-Management-Practices_Grasslands.pdf>
> and the NYS DEC's <https://www.dec.ny.gov/pubs/86582.html>).  The DEC
> itself manages a lot of land on wildlife refuges - is it required to follow
> its own guidelines on the grassland portions?  And is it required to keep
> grassland as grassland or is it allowing it to grow up into scrub, renting
> it to farmers to use as cropland, or otherwise failing to maintain this
> habitat?
>
>
>
> On 6/21/2021 10:52 AM, hollis.white wrote:
>
> Hi everyone,on early/late mowing,why not follow the Bobolink Project,pay
> the farmers and whoever,to mow later,10 dollars apiece or some sum,giv
> En to farmer will do wonders.
>
> Hollis
>
> Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy Tablet
>
>  Original message 
> From: Geo Kloppel  
> Date: 6/21/21 8:54 AM (GMT-05:00)
> To: anneb.cl...@gmail.com
> Cc: CayugaBirds-L b 
> 
> Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.
>
> Hi Anne,
>
> I wasn’t thinking of entering the fields that had been pre-selected for
> early mowing, nor searching for nests. Rather, I was wondering if in some
> way those fields could be rendered unappealing just before nesting begins,
> at

Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[hollis.white]

Sorry i meant if each concerned birder put 10 dollars in local money pool might 
be able to get enough to pay individual targeted landowners
Hollis
Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy Tablet
 Original message From: Alicia  Date: 
6/21/21  2:28 PM  (GMT-05:00) To: cayugabird...@list.cornell.edu Subject: Re: 
[cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed. 

Paying farmers:  It's worth considering paying
farmers to manage farmland to accommodate nesting birds, but it
isn't $10 per farmer, farmers were paid $50/acre for the 2019
growing season by the Bobolink Project.  Bobolinks like large
fields, the bigger the better., so the Bobolink Project requires a
minimum grassland field size of 20 acres.  At 2019 rates, that meant
one minimally sized field cost $1000/yr.  Upland sandpipers
generally require 100 acres - $5000/yr.  Probably why in 2021 their
fundraising protected only 1,159 acres statewide - much better than
nothing, but not a large area.  That is in Massachusetts and acreage
protection could cost more or less here, but probably not much less
since grassland is farmed to produce hay, which is not cheap.



Discouraging birds from nesting: With
regard to Geo's point on discouraging nesting where mowing will be
done, MassAudubon,
  which runs the Bobolink Project, recommends:

 If a field must be mowed during
  June or early July—and we strongly hope
  such will not be the case for lands
  held in the public trust by municipalities, land
  trusts, and conservation NGOs—intentionally
  make the site unsuitable for
  grassland-nesting birds by mowing every 2 or 3 weeks,
  beginning in late May and
  continuing through mid-July. Discouraging birds from nesting
  on such sites will prevent them from being
  lured into ecological traps; hopefully the frequent mowing will
  force them to relocate to other, more bird-friendly location.
Not clear they are basing this on any particular evidence.  Also, I
don't understand how this would work for hay, but perhaps they mean
non-farmers?



Targeting grassland not in cultivation: 
Landowners who aren't farming their land might not even need to be
paid to adopt a bird-friendly mowing schedule, or they might accept
a much lower payment since they aren't out of pocket when they
change how and when they mow.  Does it make sense to begin by
looking into efforts made by other bird clubs and organizations to
these landowners, and then spend time on outreach to state, not for
profit, and private landowners?  There are plenty of grassland
management guides to borrow from (for example MassAudubon's
and the NYS DEC's).  The
DEC itself manages a lot of land on wildlife refuges - is it
required to follow its own guidelines on the grassland portions? 
And is it required to keep grassland as grassland or is it allowing
it to grow up into scrub, renting it to farmers to use as cropland,
or otherwise failing to maintain this habitat?







On 6/21/2021 10:52 AM, hollis.white
  wrote:



  
  Hi everyone,on early/late mowing,why not follow the Bobolink
Project,pay the farmers and whoever,to mow later,10 dollars
apiece or some sum,giv
  En to farmer will do wonders.
  

  
  Hollis
  

  
  
Sent from my
  Verizon, Samsung Galaxy Tablet
  
  

  
  
 Original message 
From: Geo Kloppel  
Date: 6/21/21 8:54 AM (GMT-05:00) 
To: anneb.cl...@gmail.com 
Cc: CayugaBirds-L b  
Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed. 



  
  Hi Anne,

  

  I wasn’t thinking of entering the fields that had been
  pre-selected for early mowing, nor searching for nests. Rather, I
  was wondering if in some way those fields could be rendered
  unappealing just before nesting begins, at the critical moment*
  when the sociable and polygamous Bobolinks are choosing which
  fields to build their nests in. Maybe they would find certain
  noises or predator signals or patrolling drones or something else
  unacceptable, and move on to settle into other fields that were
  slated for later mowing.

  

  *I wrote “moment” for whatever the brief period might be before
  they make their choice and begin nest building.

  

  -Geo

  

  Sent from my iPhone

  

  > On Jun 21, 2021, at 6:36 AM, anneb.cl...@gmail.com wrote:

  > 

  > Speaking as someone who spent years locating redwing nests,
  I think this is a mountain not a molehill. Locating nests in
  grassland is HARD on purpose. Birds make it that way.   Feeding
  females do t go down to their nests. They drop

Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Alicia]

*_Paying farmers_**:*  It's worth considering paying farmers to manage 
farmland to accommodate nesting birds, but it isn't $10 per farmer, 
farmers were paid $50/acre for the 2019 growing season by the Bobolink 
Project.  Bobolinks like large fields, the bigger the better., so the 
Bobolink Project requires a minimum grassland field size of 20 acres.  
At 2019 rates, that meant one minimally sized field cost $1000/yr.  
Upland sandpipers generally require 100 acres - $5000/yr.  Probably why 
in 2021 their fundraising protected only 1,159 acres statewide - much 
better than nothing, but not a large area.  That is in Massachusetts and 
acreage protection could cost more or less here, but probably not much 
less since grassland is farmed to produce hay, which is not cheap.
*
**_Discouraging birds from nesting_**:* With regard to Geo's point on 
discouraging nesting where mowing will be done, MassAudubon, which runs 
the Bobolink Project, recommends 
<https://www.massaudubon.org/content/download/19413/274073/file/Best-Management-Practices_Grasslands.pdf>:
> If a field must be mowed during June or early July—and we strongly 
> hope such will not be the case for lands held in the public trust by 
> municipalities, land trusts, and conservation NGOs—intentionally make 
> the site unsuitable for grassland-nesting birds by mowing every 2 or 3 
> weeks, beginning in late May and continuing through mid-July. 
> Discouraging birds from nesting on such sites will prevent them from 
> being lured into ecological traps; hopefully the frequent mowing will 
> force them to relocate to other, more bird-friendly location.
Not clear they are basing this on any particular evidence.  Also, I 
don't understand how this would work for hay, but perhaps they mean 
non-farmers?

*_Targeting grassland not in cultivation_**:* Landowners who aren't 
farming their land might not even need to be paid to adopt a 
bird-friendly mowing schedule, or they might accept a much lower payment 
since they aren't out of pocket when they change how and when they mow.  
Does it make sense to begin by looking into efforts made by other bird 
clubs and organizations to these landowners, and then spend time on 
outreach to state, not for profit, and private landowners?  There are 
plenty of grassland management guides to borrow from (for example 
MassAudubon's 
<https://www.massaudubon.org/content/download/19413/274073/file/Best-Management-Practices_Grasslands.pdf>
 
and the NYS DEC's <https://www.dec.ny.gov/pubs/86582.html>).  The DEC 
itself manages a lot of land on wildlife refuges - is it required to 
follow its own guidelines on the grassland portions? And is it required 
to keep grassland as grassland or is it allowing it to grow up into 
scrub, renting it to farmers to use as cropland, or otherwise failing to 
maintain this habitat?



On 6/21/2021 10:52 AM, hollis.white wrote:
> Hi everyone,on early/late mowing,why not follow the Bobolink 
> Project,pay the farmers and whoever,to mow later,10 dollars apiece or 
> some sum,giv
> En to farmer will do wonders.
>
> Hollis
>
> Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy Tablet
>
>  Original message 
> From: Geo Kloppel 
> Date: 6/21/21 8:54 AM (GMT-05:00)
> To: anneb.cl...@gmail.com
> Cc: CayugaBirds-L b 
> Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.
>
> Hi Anne,
>
> I wasn’t thinking of entering the fields that had been pre-selected 
> for early mowing, nor searching for nests. Rather, I was wondering if 
> in some way those fields could be rendered unappealing just before 
> nesting begins, at the critical moment* when the sociable and 
> polygamous Bobolinks are choosing which fields to build their nests 
> in. Maybe they would find certain noises or predator signals or 
> patrolling drones or something else unacceptable, and move on to 
> settle into other fields that were slated for later mowing.
>
> *I wrote “moment” for whatever the brief period might be before they 
> make their choice and begin nest building.
>
> -Geo
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On Jun 21, 2021, at 6:36 AM, anneb.cl...@gmail.com wrote:
> >
> > Speaking as someone who spent years locating redwing nests, I think 
> this is a mountain not a molehill. Locating nests in grassland is HARD 
> on purpose. Birds make it that way.   Feeding females do t go down to 
> their nests. They drop and walk to the nest. One makes paths tromping 
> through the grass which neither farmer nor birds will benefit from.
> >
> > I was thinking about what long term obs and relatively few nesting 
> areas it took for the one farm as described.
> >
> > No not impossible but much harder than it seems. And leaving clumps 
> with nests as well as paths near them will increase predation.
> >
> > I am dubious as good a

Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Dave Nutter]

I totally respect Anne’s experienced perspective. It would be a big challenge 
to even approximately locate any nest without disrupting the crop. Also it’s 
possible that Reuben’s mowing machinery was slower, quieter, & more 
maneuverable than what most farmers use, lending itself to guidance while 
cutting. So, maybe his tactic is not easily applicable everywhere. 

Seaside Sparrows attempt to nest in salt marshes as early as they can. They 
routinely get wiped out by the very high tide associated with a full moon. Then 
they immediately re-nest, which just allows them to fledge young by the next 
full moon. Can grassland birds similarly fit a breeding cycle into the time it 
takes a second hay crop to grow? This year I saw lots of hayfields mowed by May 
15. Do field birds stick around and try again to breed after that? Is delaying 
a second cutting into July any better for the farmer? 

Do the field birds learn and not even try the fields next year that got mowed 
this year? 

Are there National Forest or DEC lands which are managed for grassland birds? 
That may not be much total area compared to privately cropped hayfields, but it 
might keep the species from being regionally wiped out. Maybe there are 
landowners who are not farmers and have not yet leased their land to farmers 
who would like to support grassland birds. 



- - Dave Nutter

> On Jun 21, 2021, at 6:36 AM, anneb.cl...@gmail.com wrote:
> 
> Speaking as someone who spent years locating redwing nests, I think this is a 
> mountain not a molehill. Locating nests in grassland is HARD on purpose. 
> Birds make it that way.   Feeding females do t go down to their nests. They 
> drop and walk to the nest. One makes paths tromping through the grass which 
> neither farmer nor birds will benefit from. 
> 
> I was thinking about what long term obs and relatively few nesting areas it 
> took for the one farm as described. 
> 
> No not impossible but much harder than it seems. And leaving clumps with 
> nests as well as paths near them will increase predation. 
> 
> I am dubious as good as this sounds. 
> 
> Anne
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Jun 20, 2021, at 10:40 PM, Geo Kloppel  wrote:
>> 
>> I’ve been musing along a different line, wondering if a preemptive approach 
>> is possible. 
>> 
>> It takes time to mow the big fields that grassland nesters favor, and the 
>> hay farmer can’t mow all of them simultaneously. The work of haying season 
>> has to begin somewhere, and start early enough that the farmer can get 
>> through it all. So each year some field will be selected to go first, and 
>> another second, and the rest must wait their turns. 
>> 
>> Clearly some fields that are later in the queue can produce a crop of 
>> fledglings before it’s their turn to be mowed; otherwise we wouldn’t be 
>> having this conversation. So, suppose for the moment that the decision about 
>> which fields to mow early could be made before nesting had even begun. If 
>> there was then some way to discourage the birds from selecting those 
>> particular fields to nest in, the effect would be to direct them to the 
>> fields slated for later mowing...
>> 
>> -Geo
>> --
>> 
>> 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:
> 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:
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/

--

Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[hollis.white]

Hi everyone,on early/late mowing,why not follow the Bobolink Project,pay the 
farmers and whoever,to mow later,10 dollars apiece or some sum,givEn to farmer 
will do wonders.
Hollis
Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy Tablet
 Original message From: Geo Kloppel  
Date: 6/21/21  8:54 AM  (GMT-05:00) To: anneb.cl...@gmail.com Cc: CayugaBirds-L 
b  Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed. 
Hi Anne,

I wasn’t thinking of entering the fields that had been pre-selected for early 
mowing, nor searching for nests. Rather, I was wondering if in some way those 
fields could be rendered unappealing just before nesting begins, at the 
critical moment* when the sociable and polygamous Bobolinks are choosing which 
fields to build their nests in. Maybe they would find certain noises or 
predator signals or patrolling drones or something else unacceptable, and move 
on to settle into other fields that were slated for later mowing.

*I wrote “moment” for whatever the brief period might be before they make their 
choice and begin nest building.

-Geo

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jun 21, 2021, at 6:36 AM, anneb.cl...@gmail.com wrote:
> 
> Speaking as someone who spent years locating redwing nests, I think this is 
> a mountain not a molehill. Locating nests in grassland is HARD on purpose. 
> Birds make it that way.   Feeding females do t go down to their nests. They 
> drop and walk to the nest. One makes paths tromping through the grass which 
> neither farmer nor birds will benefit from. 
> 
> I was thinking about what long term obs and relatively few nesting areas it 
> took for the one farm as described.
> 
> No not impossible but much harder than it seems. And leaving clumps with 
> nests as well as paths near them will increase predation. 
> 
> I am dubious as good as this sounds.
> 
> Anne
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Jun 20, 2021, at 10:40 PM, Geo Kloppel  wrote:
>> 
>> I’ve been musing along a different line, wondering if a preemptive approach 
>> is possible. 
>> 
>> It takes time to mow the big fields that grassland nesters favor, and the 
>> hay farmer can’t mow all of them simultaneously. The work of haying season 
>> has to begin somewhere, and start early enough that the farmer can get 
>> through it all. So each year some field will be selected to go first, and 
>> another second, and the rest must wait their turns. 
>> 
>> Clearly some fields that are later in the queue can produce a crop of 
>> fledglings before it’s their turn to be mowed; otherwise we wouldn’t be 
>> having this conversation. So, suppose for the moment that the decision about 
>> which fields to mow early could be made before nesting had even begun. If 
>> there was then some way to discourage the birds from selecting those 
>> particular fields to nest in, the effect would be to direct them to the 
>> fields slated for later mowing...
>> 
>> -Geo
>> --
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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Rachel Lodder]

These are some great ideas and comments, Dave, Geo, and Suan.

I'm having a hard time keeping track of the different chains of discussion on 
this topic, so if this is repeated for some of you, I apologize. It's 
interesting to see, too, that we have had some overlapping ideas. One thing 
that we are trying as farmers is leaving some of our fields fallow in 
grass/clover, even for several years. We fit this into our organic crop 
rotations, and this helps gives the soil a rest. We can do this as we are 
organic, and have the "luxury" of renting enough acres to farm, and some land 
owners are willing to rent their land to us for less income to have it organic.

Onother thing we do already (like Geo suggests), but we have never tested to 
know how it works: make hay-production fields smaller than Bobolinks prefer to 
discourage them from setting up breeding territories. This could work well 
(possibly) on slopes where we also farm using strips of smaller “fields” (of 
alternating types of crops across the slope in narrower strips), which is done 
in order to help prevent erosion and soil loss, as there are always areas of 
soil that are covered by crop and not bare soil, which is more susceptible to 
erosion. We just don't know how to tell if it "makes" the birds nest elsewhere?

Both of these strip and cover-cropping methods are encouraged by NRCS and 
farmers can get paid cash per acre to use them! That is one carrot!

These methods could only be offered, and made available to people who are 
interested. Farmers come in all shapes and sizes, with all kinds of priorites 
and concerns, and we know farmers who are not interested in the NRSC payments, 
event though it's "free" money for them.

Thor and I would be willing to try locating and marking nests in fields as 
well, if you think it's worth it. We have a 23-acre fallow grass/clover field 
where I saw a Bobolink carrying food last Thursday. We could trial how the nest 
finding and flagging system could work, as we're not planning on mowing that 
field until late, and probably not at all this year for a crop of hay. I don't 
have time to organize and manage this, but am happy to help as I can, so Suan - 
if you are willing to organize it, we can see what we can do. And Anne - you 
bring up perfect issues concerning this method!

cheers,
Rachel




From: bounce-125722353-81221...@list.cornell.edu 
 on behalf of Geo Kloppel 

Sent: Sunday, June 20, 2021 10:40 PM
To: CayugaBirds-L b 
Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

I’ve been musing along a different line, wondering if a preemptive approach is 
possible.

It takes time to mow the big fields that grassland nesters favor, and the hay 
farmer can’t mow all of them simultaneously. The work of haying season has to 
begin somewhere, and start early enough that the farmer can get through it all. 
So each year some field will be selected to go first, and another second, and 
the rest must wait their turns.

Clearly some fields that are later in the queue can produce a crop of 
fledglings before it’s their turn to be mowed; otherwise we wouldn’t be having 
this conversation. So, suppose for the moment that the decision about which 
fields to mow early could be made before nesting had even begun. If there was 
then some way to discourage the birds from selecting those particular fields to 
nest in, the effect would be to direct them to the fields slated for later 
mowing...

-Geo
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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Geo Kloppel]

Hi Anne,

I wasn’t thinking of entering the fields that had been pre-selected for early 
mowing, nor searching for nests. Rather, I was wondering if in some way those 
fields could be rendered unappealing just before nesting begins, at the 
critical moment* when the sociable and polygamous Bobolinks are choosing which 
fields to build their nests in. Maybe they would find certain noises or 
predator signals or patrolling drones or something else unacceptable, and move 
on to settle into other fields that were slated for later mowing.

*I wrote “moment” for whatever the brief period might be before they make their 
choice and begin nest building.

-Geo

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jun 21, 2021, at 6:36 AM, anneb.cl...@gmail.com wrote:
> 
> Speaking as someone who spent years locating redwing nests, I think this is 
> a mountain not a molehill. Locating nests in grassland is HARD on purpose. 
> Birds make it that way.   Feeding females do t go down to their nests. They 
> drop and walk to the nest. One makes paths tromping through the grass which 
> neither farmer nor birds will benefit from. 
> 
> I was thinking about what long term obs and relatively few nesting areas it 
> took for the one farm as described.
> 
> No not impossible but much harder than it seems. And leaving clumps with 
> nests as well as paths near them will increase predation. 
> 
> I am dubious as good as this sounds.
> 
> Anne
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Jun 20, 2021, at 10:40 PM, Geo Kloppel  wrote:
>> 
>> I’ve been musing along a different line, wondering if a preemptive approach 
>> is possible. 
>> 
>> It takes time to mow the big fields that grassland nesters favor, and the 
>> hay farmer can’t mow all of them simultaneously. The work of haying season 
>> has to begin somewhere, and start early enough that the farmer can get 
>> through it all. So each year some field will be selected to go first, and 
>> another second, and the rest must wait their turns. 
>> 
>> Clearly some fields that are later in the queue can produce a crop of 
>> fledglings before it’s their turn to be mowed; otherwise we wouldn’t be 
>> having this conversation. So, suppose for the moment that the decision about 
>> which fields to mow early could be made before nesting had even begun. If 
>> there was then some way to discourage the birds from selecting those 
>> particular fields to nest in, the effect would be to direct them to the 
>> fields slated for later mowing...
>> 
>> -Geo
>> --
>> 
>> Cayugabirds-L List Info:
>> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME
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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[anneb . clark]

Speaking as someone who spent years locating redwing nests, I think this is a 
mountain not a molehill. Locating nests in grassland is HARD on purpose. Birds 
make it that way.   Feeding females do t go down to their nests. They drop and 
walk to the nest. One makes paths tromping through the grass which neither 
farmer nor birds will benefit from. 

I was thinking about what long term obs and relatively few nesting areas it 
took for the one farm as described. 

No not impossible but much harder than it seems. And leaving clumps with nests 
as well as paths near them will increase predation. 

I am dubious as good as this sounds. 

Anne

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jun 20, 2021, at 10:40 PM, Geo Kloppel  wrote:
> 
> I’ve been musing along a different line, wondering if a preemptive approach 
> is possible. 
> 
> It takes time to mow the big fields that grassland nesters favor, and the hay 
> farmer can’t mow all of them simultaneously. The work of haying season has to 
> begin somewhere, and start early enough that the farmer can get through it 
> all. So each year some field will be selected to go first, and another 
> second, and the rest must wait their turns. 
> 
> Clearly some fields that are later in the queue can produce a crop of 
> fledglings before it’s their turn to be mowed; otherwise we wouldn’t be 
> having this conversation. So, suppose for the moment that the decision about 
> which fields to mow early could be made before nesting had even begun. If 
> there was then some way to discourage the birds from selecting those 
> particular fields to nest in, the effect would be to direct them to the 
> fields slated for later mowing...
> 
> -Geo
> --
> 
> Cayugabirds-L List Info:
> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME
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> 
> Please submit your observations to eBird:
> http://ebird.org/content/ebird/
> 
> --
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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Geo Kloppel]

I’ve been musing along a different line, wondering if a preemptive approach is 
possible. 

It takes time to mow the big fields that grassland nesters favor, and the hay 
farmer can’t mow all of them simultaneously. The work of haying season has to 
begin somewhere, and start early enough that the farmer can get through it all. 
So each year some field will be selected to go first, and another second, and 
the rest must wait their turns. 

Clearly some fields that are later in the queue can produce a crop of 
fledglings before it’s their turn to be mowed; otherwise we wouldn’t be having 
this conversation. So, suppose for the moment that the decision about which 
fields to mow early could be made before nesting had even begun. If there was 
then some way to discourage the birds from selecting those particular fields to 
nest in, the effect would be to direct them to the fields slated for later 
mowing...

-Geo
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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Suan Hsi Yong]

On Sun, Jun 20, 2021 at 6:38 PM Nancy Cusumano 
wrote:

> I have been thinking about this too. And to me the issue is, what is in it
> for the farmer? If we are going to ask them to cut their fields up to go
> around nesting sites, is the bird conservation issue enough for them? What
> is the carrot, I guess is my question. I don't know the answer.
>

The carrot question is a challenging one, and not one I'm prepared to
address, but I think of it as an independent problem.

I'm working on the assumption that some farmers, either via some form of
persuasion or just from their own love of nature, would be interested in
not killing nestlings. We've heard allusion to at least two such farmers in
recent posts. But as of today, these farmers do not have any workable
solution other than a loosy-goosy guideline of "wait til July to mow"
which, as others have explained, is often not compatible with their harvest
constraints. The volunteer surveyor's corps, if it can be successfully
materialized, would be an option for those farmers to try something
different. The idea would not be for the corps to go around trying to
convince farmers to do this or that, but to be available as a resource for
those who desire it.

Suan

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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Nancy Cusumano]

I have been thinking about this too. And to me the issue is, what is in it
for the farmer? If we are going to ask them to cut their fields up to go
around nesting sites, is the bird conservation issue enough for them? What
is the carrot, I guess is my question. I don't know the answer.
Also, if fields are cut down around nesting birds, does that leave them
enough grassland to continue? Will they abandon?

I think a trial at CU fields is a great idea if we can float it to them.

Nancy


On Sun, Jun 20, 2021 at 6:05 PM Suan Hsi Yong  wrote:

> Thanks, Dave.
>
> As Cayuga Bird Club I've been wondering what, if anything, we could do
> about the situation. One dimension would be outreach and education and
> increasing general awareness, for which CAC chair Jody has stepped up to
> solicit volunteers, thanks! But I'd also toyed with a pipedream idea of
> whether the club could establish a corps of volunteer surveyors who, upon
> request by any interested farmer, would go to a field and try to map out
> nest sites and mark off sub-sections of the field that the farmer may be
> willing to leave alone for the sake of the birds.
>
> I've never tried finding nest sites of field birds before; I suspect it
> can be hard. I'd be interested to hear of any work or techniques that can
> be workable to "an average volunteer". Perhaps Reuben has some hints or
> suggestions. I know that Reuben is a very acute observer of birds, and
> would place his skills at above average; ideally, we would like to
> establish some methodology that can be effectively applied by one of
> "average" observational skills.
>
> Just spitballing, I imagine a workable technique would involve first
> installing flags to establish a grid over the field, then having at least
> two observers situated on orthogonal axes communicating with walkie-talkies
> to triangulate the grid location of an observed bird flying into or out of
> a likely nest. Flag installation should probably happen a day or two in
> advance, and could conceivably be done by the farmer ahead of time. Flag
> installation may also flush birds from potential nest sites, and notes on
> such observations should be taken as well. The flags will need to be marked
> such that they can be read from both axes, and be easy to interpolate.
> Using letters and numbers is the obvious choice, but the markings would
> have to be on stiff cards facing both axes. Another option is to use color
> coded flags, but interpolation may be tricky, as one needs to be able to
> quickly locate the grid "between the green and blue flags", say. Something
> involving two digits of rainbow colors could be workable, but it gets
> complicated fast with two axes to label.
>
> If anyone is interested in volunteering for such a survey, please email
> me. I don't know if this idea will go anywhere, but having a sense of
> potential interest could be a starting point. Also, if any farmers are
> willing to let us test out techniques, email me as well. I suspect we won't
> be able to do anything this season, but if the stars align (enough
> volunteers sign up and a farmer offers a field to test) we could
> potentially try doing something within the next week or two of peak
> nesting. More likely is to think about possibly doing something next
> season, perhaps on one of Cornell's agricultural fields that started this
> thread?
>
> Curious to hear people's thoughts.
>
> Suan
>
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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Suan Hsi Yong]

Thanks, Dave.

As Cayuga Bird Club I've been wondering what, if anything, we could do
about the situation. One dimension would be outreach and education and
increasing general awareness, for which CAC chair Jody has stepped up to
solicit volunteers, thanks! But I'd also toyed with a pipedream idea of
whether the club could establish a corps of volunteer surveyors who, upon
request by any interested farmer, would go to a field and try to map out
nest sites and mark off sub-sections of the field that the farmer may be
willing to leave alone for the sake of the birds.

I've never tried finding nest sites of field birds before; I suspect it can
be hard. I'd be interested to hear of any work or techniques that can be
workable to "an average volunteer". Perhaps Reuben has some hints or
suggestions. I know that Reuben is a very acute observer of birds, and
would place his skills at above average; ideally, we would like to
establish some methodology that can be effectively applied by one of
"average" observational skills.

Just spitballing, I imagine a workable technique would involve first
installing flags to establish a grid over the field, then having at least
two observers situated on orthogonal axes communicating with walkie-talkies
to triangulate the grid location of an observed bird flying into or out of
a likely nest. Flag installation should probably happen a day or two in
advance, and could conceivably be done by the farmer ahead of time. Flag
installation may also flush birds from potential nest sites, and notes on
such observations should be taken as well. The flags will need to be marked
such that they can be read from both axes, and be easy to interpolate.
Using letters and numbers is the obvious choice, but the markings would
have to be on stiff cards facing both axes. Another option is to use color
coded flags, but interpolation may be tricky, as one needs to be able to
quickly locate the grid "between the green and blue flags", say. Something
involving two digits of rainbow colors could be workable, but it gets
complicated fast with two axes to label.

If anyone is interested in volunteering for such a survey, please email me.
I don't know if this idea will go anywhere, but having a sense of potential
interest could be a starting point. Also, if any farmers are willing to let
us test out techniques, email me as well. I suspect we won't be able to do
anything this season, but if the stars align (enough volunteers sign up and
a farmer offers a field to test) we could potentially try doing something
within the next week or two of peak nesting. More likely is to think about
possibly doing something next season, perhaps on one of Cornell's
agricultural fields that started this thread?

Curious to hear people's thoughts.

Suan

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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Dave Nutter]

 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  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 
>  on behalf of Kenneth V. 
> Rosenberg 
> Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 11:32 PM
> To: Geo Kloppel ; CAYUGABIRDS-L 
> 
> 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 mos

Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Jody Enck]

ressed 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 
> *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
>
> <http://www.nysenvirothon.net/Referencesandother/Hayfields_Grassland_Birds.pdf>
>.
>
>
>
> 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  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

Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Rachel Lodder]

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 
 on behalf of Kenneth V. Rosenberg 

Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 11:32 PM
To: Geo Kloppel ; CAYUGABIRDS-L 

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

Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Kenneth V. Rosenberg]

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<mailto:k...@cornell.edu>
Wk: 607-254-2412
Cell: 607-342-4594


From: bounce-125714597-3493...@list.cornell.edu 
 on behalf of Geo Kloppel 

Date: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 9:53 PM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L 
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<http://www.nysenvirothon.net/Referencesandother/Hayfields_Grassland_Birds.pdf>.

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  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

Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Geo Kloppel]

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  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 
>>  on behalf of Linda Orkin 
>> 
>> Date: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 3:02 PM
>> To: CAYUGABIRDS-L 
>> 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) 

Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed - state land, too

[Poppy Singer]

I feel so sad about this.

On Tue, Jun 15, 2021 at 4:39 PM Alicia Plotkin  wrote:

> More generally, another problem are policies by NYS Parks and the Wildlife
> Management areas.  Grassland areas under their control increasingly seem to
> be rented out for farming.  For example, part of Willard Wildlife
> Management area that 25 yrs ago was in grass that only got mowed in late
> summer, and that had the full range of nesting grassland birds (confirmed
> nesting by Meadowlark, Bobolink, Northern Harrier, several grassland
> sparrows), recently has been leased to farmers who plant & harvest row
> crops there.  Probably true lots of other places.  This is a situation
> where the Bird Club and the Lab of O might be able to work together to
> encourage regulation by NYS that ensured the land was used in a way that is
> consistent with grassland nesting.
>
>
> On 6/15/2021 4:07 PM, 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
> 
>  on behalf of Linda Orkin
>  
> *Date: *Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 3:02 PM
> *To: *CAYUGABIRDS-L 
> 
> *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 

Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Joseph Wetmore]

Federal law will supersede State law.

Joe






On Tuesday, June 15, 2021, 08:56:28 PM EDT, Donna Lee Scott  
wrote: 





Related to discussion on migratory bird act & lack if protections:  
New York has a 
“Right to Farm” law.  
I have not read it, but it probably would muddy the waters further. 


Donna Scott 

Lansing

Sent from my iPhone




On Jun 15, 2021, at 8:47 PM, Alicia  wrote:



>  
> I have zero expertise in this area, but it looks like the courts have at best 
> a mixed record in interpreting unintentional negative effects as violations 
> of the MBTA. Take a look at  this summary, and also  this one. Based on these 
> summaries, it looks like courts are divided on the question of whether 
> criminal behavior under the MBTA is limited "to deliberate acts done directly 
> and intentionally to migratory birds" or if actions that incidentally hurt 
> birds/nests/etc also are covered. 
> 
> A 43 yr old case from the 2d Circuit, which includes NY, 
> 
>> "affirmed the conviction of a manufacturer of pesticides for migratory bird 
>> deaths. United States v. FMC Corp., 572 F.2d 902 (2d Cir. 1978). Still the 
>> FMC court stated misgivings (a “construction that would bring every killing 
>> within the statute, such as deaths caused by automobiles, airplanes, plate 
>> glass modern office buildings or picture windows into which birds fly, would 
>> offend reason and common sense”) and suggested possibly limiting incidental 
>> takes to “extrahazardous” activities ... ."
>  (Entire quote from second summary linked above.)  FWIW, I doubt that a 
> farmer cutting hay would be considered engaged in an extra-hazardous activity 
> in a legal sense, even though farming itself is a hazardous occupations.
> 
> Later cases in other circuits aren't as willing to assign criminal blame when 
> the intent was not specifically to harm birds. The 5th Circuit ruled in 2015 
> that
> 
>> we agree with the Eighth and Ninth circuits that a “taking” is limited to 
>> deliberate acts done directly and intentionally to migratory birds. Our 
>> conclusion is based on the statute’s text, its common law origin, a 
>> comparison with other relevant statutes, and rejection of the argument that 
>> strict liability can change the nature of the necessary illegal act.
> Looking at a somewhat similar fact pattern, federal district courts have held 
> that timber operations are not criminally liable under the MBTA for felling 
> trees when that activity takes out nests, for example in Curry v. U.S. Forest 
> Service, 988 F.Supp. 541, 549 (W.D. Pa. 1997); and  Mahler v. U.S. Forest 
> Service, 927 F. Supp. 1559, 1573-83 (S.D. Ind. 1996).  (Again, I am relying 
> on the summaries above and haven't read the cases but the summaries seem 
> evenhanded and well done.)
> 
> Conclusion?  This is not a clear area of the law.  At some point perhaps the 
> US Supreme Court will agree to hear a case and clarify it, but I'm not 
> holding my breath that this particular Supreme Court would rule the way we 
> would wish if it came before them, particularly if it involves farmers 
> cutting hay rather than, say, an oil spill caused by the negligence of a 
> large corporation.
> 
> Alicia
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 6/15/2021 6:43 PM, david nicosia wrote:
> 
> 
>>  The MBTA is completely ignored in this case and has been for decades. Why 
>>is that? Anyone know?
>> 
>> 
>> Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
>> 
>> 
>>>  
>>>  
>>> On Tue, Jun 15, 2021 at 6:27 PM, Kevin J. McGowan
>>> 
>>>  wrote:
>>> 
>>> 
>>>  
>>>  
>>>  
>>>  
>>> I don’t think that’s true. Birds, nests, eggs, and their parts all come 
>>> under protection from the MBTA. If feathers are covered, nestlings are 
>>> covered.
>>> 
>>>  
>>> 
>>> Kevin
>>> 
>>>  
>>> 
>>>  
>>> 
>>>  
>>>  
>>> From:  bounce-125714362-3493...@list.cornell.edu  
>>>  On Behalf Of david nicosia
>>> Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 5:55 PM
>>> To: darlingtonbets  ; Nancy Cusumano  
>>> ; Kenneth V. Rosenberg  
>>> Cc: Linda Orkin  ; CAYUGABIRDS-L  
>>> 
>>> Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.
>>> 
>>> 
>>>  
>>> 
>>> Young nestling birds aren't protected by the migratory bird act. I guess 
>>> that is true since this has been going on for decades. Wish they were. 
>>> 
>>>  
>>> Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
>>> 
>>> 
>>>  
>>

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Marty Schlabach]

I think there needs to be a distinction made between mowing for agricultural 
purposes, such as making hay, and mowing non-agricultural fields and roadsides. 
 For farmers making hay, early mowing is important for the nutritional value of 
the hay.  It is unreasonable to expect farmers to make poor quality hay for 
their livestock in exchange for protecting grassland birds.  Perhaps some will, 
but it is unfair to expect them to.

I think we should include farmers in educating landowners about the importance 
of waiting to mow grasslands until after the majority of grassland birds have 
fledged their young, but we should focus on the landowners and the municipal 
bodies who mow to make it look nice or to keep a field from being overtaken 
with woody plants.  Those areas can be mowed in late July or August with no 
negative consequences for the landowners and municipal entities.

Marty
Interlaken, NY

From: bounce-125714205-3494...@list.cornell.edu 
 On Behalf Of Kenneth V. Rosenberg
Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 4:07 PM
To: Linda Orkin ; CAYUGABIRDS-L 

Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

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<mailto:k...@cornell.edu>
Wk: 607-254-2412
Cell: 607-342-4594


From: 
bounce-125714085-3493...@list.cornell.edu<mailto:bounce-125714085-3493...@list.cornell.edu>
 
mailto:bounce-125714085-3493...@list.cornell.edu>>
 on behalf of Linda Orkin mailto:wingmagi...@gmail.com>>
Date: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 3:02 PM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L 
mailto: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:/

Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Nancy Cusumano]

For hay/farm fields, yes. But these fields of Cornell’s are not hay fields. Are 
they? They just mow it down and leave it there.
That’s was my understanding.




Sent from my iPad

> On Jun 15, 2021, at 8:56 PM, Donna Lee Scott  wrote:
> 
> Related to discussion on migratory bird act & lack if protections: 
> New York has a
> “Right to Farm” law. 
> I have not read it, but it probably would muddy the waters further. 
> 
> Donna Scott
> Lansing
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> On Jun 15, 2021, at 8:47 PM, Alicia  wrote:
> 
>> I have zero expertise in this area, but it looks like the courts have at 
>> best a mixed record in interpreting unintentional negative effects as 
>> violations of the MBTA. Take a look at this summary, and also this one. 
>> Based on these summaries, it looks like courts are divided on the question 
>> of whether criminal behavior under the MBTA is limited "to deliberate acts 
>> done directly and intentionally to migratory birds" or if actions that 
>> incidentally hurt birds/nests/etc also are covered. 
>> 
>> A 43 yr old case from the 2d Circuit, which includes NY, 
>>> "affirmed the conviction of a manufacturer of pesticides for migratory bird 
>>> deaths. United States v. FMC Corp., 572 F.2d 902 (2d Cir. 1978). Still the 
>>> FMC court stated misgivings (a “construction that would bring every killing 
>>> within the statute, such as deaths caused by automobiles, airplanes, plate 
>>> glass modern office buildings or picture windows into which birds fly, 
>>> would offend reason and common sense”) and suggested possibly limiting 
>>> incidental takes to “extrahazardous” activities ... ."
>>  (Entire quote from second summary linked above.)  FWIW, I doubt that a 
>> farmer cutting hay would be considered engaged in an extra-hazardous 
>> activity in a legal sense, even though farming itself is a hazardous 
>> occupations.
>> 
>> Later cases in other circuits aren't as willing to assign criminal blame 
>> when the intent was not specifically to harm birds. The 5th Circuit ruled in 
>> 2015 that
>>> we agree with the Eighth and Ninth circuits that a “taking” is limited to 
>>> deliberate acts done directly and intentionally to migratory birds. Our 
>>> conclusion is based on the statute’s text, its common law origin, a 
>>> comparison with other relevant statutes, and rejection of the argument that 
>>> strict liability can change the nature of the necessary illegal act.
>> Looking at a somewhat similar fact pattern, federal district courts have 
>> held that timber operations are not criminally liable under the MBTA for 
>> felling trees when that activity takes out nests, for example in Curry v. 
>> U.S. Forest Service, 988 F.Supp. 541, 549 (W.D. Pa. 1997); and Mahler v. 
>> U.S. Forest Service, 927 F. Supp. 1559, 1573-83 (S.D. Ind. 1996).  (Again, I 
>> am relying on the summaries above and haven't read the cases but the 
>> summaries seem evenhanded and well done.)
>> 
>> Conclusion?  This is not a clear area of the law.  At some point perhaps the 
>> US Supreme Court will agree to hear a case and clarify it, but I'm not 
>> holding my breath that this particular Supreme Court would rule the way we 
>> would wish if it came before them, particularly if it involves farmers 
>> cutting hay rather than, say, an oil spill caused by the negligence of a 
>> large corporation.
>> 
>> Alicia
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> On 6/15/2021 6:43 PM, david nicosia wrote:
>>> The MBTA is completely ignored in this case and has been for decades. Why 
>>> is that? Anyone know?
>>> 
>>> Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
>>> 
>>> On Tue, Jun 15, 2021 at 6:27 PM, Kevin J. McGowan
>>>  wrote:
>>> I don’t think that’s true. Birds, nests, eggs, and their parts all come 
>>> under protection from the MBTA. If feathers are covered, nestlings are 
>>> covered.
>>> 
>>>  
>>> 
>>> Kevin
>>> 
>>>  
>>> 
>>>  
>>> 
>>> From: bounce-125714362-3493...@list.cornell.edu 
>>>  On Behalf Of david nicosia
>>> Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 5:55 PM
>>> To: darlingtonbets ; Nancy Cusumano 
>>> ; Kenneth V. Rosenberg 
>>> Cc: Linda Orkin ; CAYUGABIRDS-L 
>>> 
>>> Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.
>>> 
>>>  
>>> 
>>> Young nestling birds aren't protected by the migratory bird act. I guess 
>>> that is true since this has been going on for decades. W

Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Donna Lee Scott]

Related to discussion on migratory bird act & lack if protections:
New York has a
“Right to Farm” law.
I have not read it, but it probably would muddy the waters further.

Donna Scott
Lansing
Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 15, 2021, at 8:47 PM, Alicia 
mailto:t...@ottcmail.com>> wrote:

I have zero expertise in this area, but it looks like the courts have at best a 
mixed record in interpreting unintentional negative effects as violations of 
the MBTA. Take a look at this 
summary<https://www.animallaw.info/article/detailed-discussion-migratory-bird-treaty-act>,
 and also this 
one<https://www.crowell.com/files/The-Migratory-Bird-Treaty-Act-An-Overview-Crowell-Moring.pdf>.
 Based on these summaries, it looks like courts are divided on the question of 
whether criminal behavior under the MBTA is limited "to deliberate acts done 
directly and intentionally to migratory birds" or if actions that incidentally 
hurt birds/nests/etc also are covered.

A 43 yr old case from the 2d Circuit, which includes NY,
"affirmed the conviction of a manufacturer of pesticides for migratory bird 
deaths. United States v. FMC Corp., 572 F.2d 902 (2d Cir. 1978). Still the FMC 
court stated misgivings (a “construction that would bring every killing within 
the statute, such as deaths caused by automobiles, airplanes, plate glass 
modern office buildings or picture windows into which birds fly, would offend 
reason and common sense”) and suggested possibly limiting incidental takes to 
“extrahazardous” activities ... ."
 (Entire quote from second summary linked above.)  FWIW, I doubt that a farmer 
cutting hay would be considered engaged in an extra-hazardous activity in a 
legal sense, even though farming itself is a hazardous occupations.

Later cases in other circuits aren't as willing to assign criminal blame when 
the intent was not specifically to harm birds. The 5th Circuit ruled in 2015 
that
we agree with the Eighth and Ninth circuits that a “taking” is limited to 
deliberate acts done directly and intentionally to migratory birds. Our 
conclusion is based on the statute’s text, its common law origin, a comparison 
with other relevant statutes, and rejection of the argument that strict 
liability can change the nature of the necessary illegal act.
Looking at a somewhat similar fact pattern, federal district courts have held 
that timber operations are not criminally liable under the MBTA for felling 
trees when that activity takes out nests, for example in Curry v. U.S. Forest 
Service, 988 F.Supp. 541, 549 (W.D. Pa. 1997); and Mahler v. U.S. Forest 
Service, 927 F. Supp. 1559, 1573-83 (S.D. Ind. 1996).  (Again, I am relying on 
the summaries above and haven't read the cases but the summaries seem 
evenhanded and well done.)

Conclusion?  This is not a clear area of the law.  At some point perhaps the US 
Supreme Court will agree to hear a case and clarify it, but I'm not holding my 
breath that this particular Supreme Court would rule the way we would wish if 
it came before them, particularly if it involves farmers cutting hay rather 
than, say, an oil spill caused by the negligence of a large corporation.

Alicia



On 6/15/2021 6:43 PM, david nicosia wrote:
The MBTA is completely ignored in this case and has been for decades. Why is 
that? Anyone know?

Sent from Yahoo Mail on 
Android<https://go.onelink.me/107872968?pid=InProduct=Global_Internal_YGrowth_AndroidEmailSig__AndroidUsers_wl=ym_sub1=Internal_sub2=Global_YGrowth_sub3=EmailSignature>

On Tue, Jun 15, 2021 at 6:27 PM, Kevin J. McGowan
<mailto:k...@cornell.edu> wrote:

I don’t think that’s true. Birds, nests, eggs, and their parts all come under 
protection from the MBTA. If feathers are covered, nestlings are covered.



Kevin





From: 
bounce-125714362-3493...@list.cornell.edu<mailto:bounce-125714362-3493...@list.cornell.edu>
 
<mailto:bounce-125714362-3493...@list.cornell.edu>
 On Behalf Of david nicosia
Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 5:55 PM
To: darlingtonbets <mailto:darlingtonb...@gmail.com>; 
Nancy Cusumano <mailto:nancycusuman...@gmail.com>; 
Kenneth V. Rosenberg <mailto:k...@cornell.edu>
Cc: Linda Orkin <mailto:wingmagi...@gmail.com>; 
CAYUGABIRDS-L 
<mailto:cayugabird...@list.cornell.edu>
Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.



Young nestling birds aren't protected by the migratory bird act. I guess that 
is true since this has been going on for decades. Wish they were.

Sent from Yahoo Mail on 
Android<https://go.onelink.me/107872968?pid=InProduct=Global_Internal_YGrowth_AndroidEmailSig__AndroidUsers_wl=ym_sub1=Internal_sub2=Global_YGrowth_sub3=EmailSignature>



On Tue, Jun 15, 2021 at 5:33 PM, darlingtonbets

mailto:darlingtonb...@gmail.com>> wrote:

Good! And let's try to get some publicity into the Ithaca Journal.



Betsy





Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone



 Original message 

From: Nanc

Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Alicia]

I have zero expertise in this area, but it looks like the courts have at 
best a mixed record in interpreting unintentional negative effects as 
violations of the MBTA. Take a look at this summary 
<https://www.animallaw.info/article/detailed-discussion-migratory-bird-treaty-act>,
 
and also this one 
<https://www.crowell.com/files/The-Migratory-Bird-Treaty-Act-An-Overview-Crowell-Moring.pdf>.
 
Based on these summaries, it looks like courts are divided on the 
question of whether criminal behavior under the MBTA is limited "to 
deliberate acts done directly and intentionally to migratory birds" or 
if actions that incidentally hurt birds/nests/etc also are covered.

A 43 yr old case from the 2d Circuit, which includes NY,
> "affirmed the conviction of a manufacturer of pesticides for migratory 
> bird deaths. /United States v. FMC Corp./, 572 F.2d 902 (2d Cir. 
> 1978). Still the FMC court stated misgivings (a “construction that 
> would bring every killing within the statute, such as deaths caused by 
> automobiles, airplanes, plate glass modern office buildings or picture 
> windows into which birds fly, would offend reason and common sense”) 
> and suggested possibly limiting incidental takes to “extrahazardous” 
> activities ... ."
  (Entire quote from second summary linked above.)  FWIW, I doubt that a 
farmer cutting hay would be considered engaged in an extra-hazardous 
activity in a legal sense, even though farming itself is a hazardous 
occupations.

Later cases in other circuits aren't as willing to assign criminal blame 
when the intent was not specifically to harm birds. The 5th Circuit 
ruled in 2015 that
> we agree with the Eighth and Ninth circuits that a “taking” is limited 
> to deliberate acts done directly and intentionally to migratory birds. 
> Our conclusion is based on the statute’s text, its common law origin, 
> a comparison with other relevant statutes, and rejection of the 
> argument that strict liability can change the nature of the necessary 
> illegal act.
Looking at a somewhat similar fact pattern, federal district courts have 
held that timber operations are /not /criminally liable under the MBTA 
for felling trees when that activity takes out nests, for example in 
/Curry v. U.S. Forest Service/, 988 F.Supp. 541, 549 (W.D. Pa. 1997); 
and /Mahler v. U.S. Forest Service/, 927 F. Supp. 1559, 1573-83 (S.D. 
Ind. 1996).  (Again, I am relying on the summaries above and haven't 
read the cases but the summaries seem evenhanded and well done.)

Conclusion?  This is not a clear area of the law.  At some point perhaps 
the US Supreme Court will agree to hear a case and clarify it, but I'm 
not holding my breath that this particular Supreme Court would rule the 
way we would wish if it came before them, particularly if it involves 
farmers cutting hay rather than, say, an oil spill caused by the 
negligence of a large corporation.

Alicia



On 6/15/2021 6:43 PM, david nicosia wrote:
> The MBTA is completely ignored in this case and has been for decades. 
> Why is that? Anyone know?
>
> Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android 
> <https://go.onelink.me/107872968?pid=InProduct=Global_Internal_YGrowth_AndroidEmailSig__AndroidUsers_wl=ym_sub1=Internal_sub2=Global_YGrowth_sub3=EmailSignature>
>
> On Tue, Jun 15, 2021 at 6:27 PM, Kevin J. McGowan
>  wrote:
>
> I don’t think that’s true. Birds, nests, eggs, and their parts all
> come under protection from the MBTA. If feathers are covered,
> nestlings are covered.
>
> Kevin
>
> *From:* bounce-125714362-3493...@list.cornell.edu
>  *On Behalf Of *david
> nicosia
> *Sent:* Tuesday, June 15, 2021 5:55 PM
>     *To:* darlingtonbets ; Nancy Cusumano
> ; Kenneth V. Rosenberg 
> *Cc:* Linda Orkin ; CAYUGABIRDS-L
> 
> *Subject:* Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.
>
> Young nestling birds aren't protected by the migratory bird act. I
> guess that is true since this has been going on for decades. Wish
> they were.
>
> Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
> 
> <https://go.onelink.me/107872968?pid=InProduct=Global_Internal_YGrowth_AndroidEmailSig__AndroidUsers_wl=ym_sub1=Internal_sub2=Global_YGrowth_sub3=EmailSignature>
>
> On Tue, Jun 15, 2021 at 5:33 PM, darlingtonbets
>
> mailto:darlingtonb...@gmail.com>>
> wrote:
>
> Good! And let's try to get some publicity into the Ithaca
> Journal.
>
> Betsy
>
> Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
>
>  Original message 
>
> From: Nancy Cusumano  <mailto:nancycusuman...@gmail.com>>
>
> Date: 6/15/21 4:28 PM (GMT-05:00)
>
>     To: "Kenneth V. Rosenberg" 

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[david nicosia]

The MBTA is completely ignored in this case and has been for decades.   Why is 
that?   Anyone know?

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android 
 
  On Tue, Jun 15, 2021 at 6:27 PM, Kevin J. McGowan wrote:   
#yiv4178151928 #yiv4178151928 -- _filtered {} _filtered {} _filtered {} 
_filtered {}#yiv4178151928 #yiv4178151928 p.yiv4178151928MsoNormal, 
#yiv4178151928 li.yiv4178151928MsoNormal, #yiv4178151928 
div.yiv4178151928MsoNormal 
{margin:0in;font-size:11.0pt;font-family:sans-serif;}#yiv4178151928 a:link, 
#yiv4178151928 span.yiv4178151928MsoHyperlink 
{color:blue;text-decoration:underline;}#yiv4178151928 p.yiv4178151928msonormal, 
#yiv4178151928 li.yiv4178151928msonormal, #yiv4178151928 
div.yiv4178151928msonormal 
{margin-right:0in;margin-left:0in;font-size:11.0pt;font-family:sans-serif;}#yiv4178151928
 span.yiv4178151928EmailStyle20 
{font-family:sans-serif;color:windowtext;}#yiv4178151928 
.yiv4178151928MsoChpDefault {font-family:sans-serif;} _filtered 
{}#yiv4178151928 div.yiv4178151928WordSection1 {}#yiv4178151928 
I don’t think that’s true. Birds, nests, eggs, and their parts all come under 
protection from the MBTA. If feathers are covered, nestlings are covered.
 
  
 
Kevin
 
  
 
  
 
From: bounce-125714362-3493...@list.cornell.edu 
On Behalf Of david nicosia
Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 5:55 PM
To: darlingtonbets ; Nancy Cusumano 
; Kenneth V. Rosenberg 
Cc: Linda Orkin ; CAYUGABIRDS-L 

Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.
 
  
 
Young nestling birds aren't protected by the migratory bird act.  I guess that 
is true since this has been going on for decades. Wish they were. 
 
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
 
  
 

On Tue, Jun 15, 2021 at 5:33 PM, darlingtonbets
 
 wrote:
 
Good! And let's try to get some publicity into the Ithaca Journal. 
 
  
 
Betsy
 
  
 
  
 
Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
 
  
 
 Original message 
 
From: Nancy Cusumano 
 
Date: 6/15/21 4:28 PM (GMT-05:00) 
 
To: "Kenneth V. Rosenberg" 
 
Cc: Linda Orkin , CAYUGABIRDS-L 

 
Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.
 
  
 
Ken, 
 
  
 
May I use your words in my letters? I think I will go straight to the top with 
this issue.
 
  
 
I will paraphrase...
 
  
 
Nancy
 
  
 
On Tue, Jun 15, 2021 at 4:07 PM 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 
 on behalf of Linda Orkin 

Date: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 3:02 PM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L 
Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.
 
After a couple year hiatus in which the Freese Road fields across from the 
gardens have 

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Kevin J. McGowan]

I don’t think that’s true. Birds, nests, eggs, and their parts all come under 
protection from the MBTA. If feathers are covered, nestlings are covered.

Kevin


From: bounce-125714362-3493...@list.cornell.edu 
 On Behalf Of david nicosia
Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 5:55 PM
To: darlingtonbets ; Nancy Cusumano 
; Kenneth V. Rosenberg 
Cc: Linda Orkin ; CAYUGABIRDS-L 

Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

Young nestling birds aren't protected by the migratory bird act.  I guess that 
is true since this has been going on for decades. Wish they were.
Sent from Yahoo Mail on 
Android<https://go.onelink.me/107872968?pid=InProduct=Global_Internal_YGrowth_AndroidEmailSig__AndroidUsers_wl=ym_sub1=Internal_sub2=Global_YGrowth_sub3=EmailSignature>

On Tue, Jun 15, 2021 at 5:33 PM, darlingtonbets
mailto:darlingtonb...@gmail.com>> wrote:
Good! And let's try to get some publicity into the Ithaca Journal.

Betsy


Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

 Original message 
From: Nancy Cusumano 
mailto:nancycusuman...@gmail.com>>
Date: 6/15/21 4:28 PM (GMT-05:00)
To: "Kenneth V. Rosenberg" mailto:k...@cornell.edu>>
Cc: Linda Orkin mailto:wingmagi...@gmail.com>>, 
CAYUGABIRDS-L 
mailto:cayugabird...@list.cornell.edu>>
Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

Ken,

May I use your words in my letters? I think I will go straight to the top with 
this issue.

I will paraphrase...

Nancy

On Tue, Jun 15, 2021 at 4:07 PM Kenneth V. Rosenberg 
mailto:k...@cornell.edu>> 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<mailto:k...@cornell.edu>

Wk: 607-254-2412

Cell: 607-342-4594





From: 
bounce-125714085-3493...@list.cornell.edu<mailto:bounce-125714085-3493...@list.cornell.edu>
 
mailto:bounce-125714085-3493...@list.cornell.edu>>
 on behalf of Linda Orkin mailto:wingmagi...@gmail.com>>
Date: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 3:02 PM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L 
mailto: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

Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[anneb . clark]

That is a critical piece that has made it hard for me, on Hile School rd, to 
help the farmers meet me more than half way. I end up saying after the 4th, but 
the later the better. 

After years of redwing work in and around the pond units in the 1990s, our 
usual pattern was a sharp decline in unfledged nests to low numbers by around 
the 4th. Year to year variation in first fledging week was strong. Could be in 
1st or second wk of June. I could go back and calculate a mean but it would be 
wrong in many years. 

My impression with the meadowlark and redwing activity here this year is that 
fledging is really going strong in last 4-5 days. Lots of parental yelling at 
my dog and I when we are in the road and a new call by the meadowlark pair.  So 
maybe “wait til the 4th” would do it this year. Warning though. There will be 
renests at that time and the later nestlings. Just fewer than now. And 
bobolinks are probably not on the same schedule quite and a miss is as good as 
a…

I have combed next door fields after a mowing with pictures and rescues in mind 
and nests are harder to find than you would think. Scavengers work fast and 
nests are pinned under swathes of grass. But pics would certainly be useful. 

So I will see if I can generate any 90s estimates for timing, but I think the 
4th is a pretty good date as compromise. 

Anne

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jun 15, 2021, at 6:07 PM, Sandy Podulka  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 
>>  on behalf of Linda Orkin 
>> 
>> Date: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 3:02 PM
>> To: CAYUGABIRDS-L 
>> 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 

Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Patrizia Sione]

Cornell has a cooperative extension program with an agricultural section, which 
provides education on “good” agricultural practices to local farmers. I 
remember reading somewhere that fields are mowed in June to cut off seed heads 
from weeds.  I contacted cooperative extension asking if this is the reason and 
what the alternatives, if any, are (such as obviously postponing the mowing, 
but who knows, anything else?).

Patrizia


On Jun 15, 2021, at 5:25 PM, darlingtonbets 
mailto:darlingtonb...@gmail.com>> wrote:

Can someone take on writing a letter to the Ithaca Journal - if possible, with 
some photos?  How about a petition, too?
It's one thing if it's farmers who have to support themselves, but CORNELL?! I 
can just imagine all their rationalizations!
Betsy


Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

 Original message 
From: Melissa Groo mailto:melg...@gmail.com>>
Date: 6/15/21 4:53 PM (GMT-05:00)
To: Nancy Cusumano mailto:nancycusuman...@gmail.com>>
Cc: CAYUGABIRDS-L 
mailto:cayugabird...@list.cornell.edu>>, 
"Kenneth V. Rosenberg" mailto:k...@cornell.edu>>, Linda Orkin 
mailto:wingmagi...@gmail.com>>
Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

Also, if anyone would get photos of the distressed parents flying/hovering in 
the same frame as the mowers, those photos would go a long way too. (I would 
volunteer but I’m out of town right now.)

The photos could be used in an article or editorial of some kind, that needs to 
be written.

Melissa



On Tue, Jun 15, 2021 at 2:28 PM Nancy Cusumano 
mailto:nancycusuman...@gmail.com>> wrote:
Ken,

May I use your words in my letters? I think I will go straight to the top with 
this issue.

I will paraphrase...

Nancy

On Tue, Jun 15, 2021 at 4:07 PM Kenneth V. Rosenberg 
mailto:k...@cornell.edu>> 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<mailto:k...@cornell.edu>
Wk: 607-254-2412
Cell: 607-342-4594


From: 
bounce-125714085-3493...@list.cornell.edu<mailto:bounce-125714085-3493...@list.cornell.edu>
 
mailto:bounce-125714085-3493...@list.cornell.edu>>
 on behalf of Linda Orkin mailto:wingmagi...@gmail.com>>
Date: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 3:02 PM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L 
mailto: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 

Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Sandy Podulka]

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 
> on 
>behalf of Linda Orkin 
>Date: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 3:02 PM
>To: CAYUGABIRDS-L 
>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

Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[david nicosia]

Young nestling birds aren't protected by the migratory bird act.  I guess that 
is true since this has been going on for decades. Wish they were. 

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android 
 
  On Tue, Jun 15, 2021 at 5:33 PM, darlingtonbets 
wrote:   Good! And let's try to get some publicity into the Ithaca Journal. 
Betsy

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
 Original message From: Nancy Cusumano 
 Date: 6/15/21 4:28 PM (GMT-05:00) To: "Kenneth V. 
Rosenberg"  Cc: Linda Orkin , 
CAYUGABIRDS-L  Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] 
Fields being mowed. 
Ken, 

May I use your words in my letters? I think I will go straight to the top with 
this issue. 

I will paraphrase...
Nancy

On Tue, Jun 15, 2021 at 4:07 PM 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 
 on behalf of Linda Orkin 

Date: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 3:02 PM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L 
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
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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:
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Please submit your observations to eBird!  Cayugabirds-L List Inf

Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[darlingtonbets]

Good! And let's try to get some publicity into the Ithaca Journal. BetsySent 
from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
 Original message From: Nancy Cusumano 
 Date: 6/15/21  4:28 PM  (GMT-05:00) To: "Kenneth V. 
Rosenberg"  Cc: Linda Orkin , 
CAYUGABIRDS-L  Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] 
Fields being mowed. Ken, May I use your words in my letters? I think I will go 
straight to the top with this issue. I will paraphrase...NancyOn Tue, Jun 15, 
2021 at 4:07 PM 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 
 on behalf of Linda Orkin 

Date: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 3:02 PM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L 
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:
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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[darlingtonbets]

Can someone take on writing a letter to the Ithaca Journal - if possible, with 
some photos?  How about a petition, too?It's one thing if it's farmers who have 
to support themselves, but CORNELL?! I can just imagine all their 
rationalizations!BetsySent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
 Original message From: Melissa Groo  Date: 
6/15/21  4:53 PM  (GMT-05:00) To: Nancy Cusumano  
Cc: CAYUGABIRDS-L , "Kenneth V. Rosenberg" 
, Linda Orkin  Subject: Re: 
[cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed. Also, if anyone would get photos of the 
distressed parents flying/hovering in the same frame as the mowers, those 
photos would go a long way too. (I would volunteer but I’m out of town right 
now.)The photos could be used in an article or editorial of some kind, that 
needs to be written.MelissaOn Tue, Jun 15, 2021 at 2:28 PM Nancy Cusumano 
 wrote:Ken, May I use your words in my letters? I 
think I will go straight to the top with this issue. I will 
paraphrase...NancyOn Tue, Jun 15, 2021 at 4:07 PM 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 
 on behalf of Linda Orkin 

Date: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 3:02 PM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L 
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
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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Melissa Groo]

Also, if anyone would get photos of the distressed parents flying/hovering
in the same frame as the mowers, those photos would go a long way too. (I
would volunteer but I’m out of town right now.)

The photos could be used in an article or editorial of some kind, that
needs to be written.

Melissa



On Tue, Jun 15, 2021 at 2:28 PM Nancy Cusumano 
wrote:

> Ken,
>
> May I use your words in my letters? I think I will go straight to the top
> with this issue.
>
> I will paraphrase...
>
> Nancy
>
> On Tue, Jun 15, 2021 at 4:07 PM 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 
>> *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/
>>
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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed - state land, too

[Alicia Plotkin]

More generally, another problem are policies by NYS Parks and the 
Wildlife Management areas.  Grassland areas under their control 
increasingly seem to be rented out for farming.  For example, part of 
Willard Wildlife Management area that 25 yrs ago was in grass that only 
got mowed in late summer, and that had the full range of nesting 
grassland birds (confirmed nesting by Meadowlark, Bobolink, Northern 
Harrier, several grassland sparrows), recently has been leased to 
farmers who plant & harvest row crops there.  Probably true lots of 
other places.  This is a situation where the Bird Club and the Lab of O 
might be able to work together to encourage regulation by NYS that 
ensured the land was used in a way that is consistent with grassland 
nesting.


On 6/15/2021 4:07 PM, 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 
>  on behalf of Linda Orkin 
> 
> *Date: *Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 3:02 PM
> *To: *CAYUGABIRDS-L 
> *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) 

Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Nancy Cusumano]

Ken,

May I use your words in my letters? I think I will go straight to the top
with this issue.

I will paraphrase...

Nancy

On Tue, Jun 15, 2021 at 4:07 PM 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 
> *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
>
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> 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/
>
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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Regi Teasley]

Ken,
   This is useful information.  And thank you for your serious efforts.
I sometimes think that what we need to do is bring this to a wider public.  
Some photos of trashed nests would go a long way to making the point.  Of 
course Cornell wants to look good while doing little (consider their endless 
posturing and foot dragging on building efficiency).  So, what remains in-house 
may never change.
   This is part of a larger problem: talk green and continue with business as 
usual.  And, let’s face it, sometimes you have to stand between the machine and 
the victim—with cameras rolling.

Regi


“If we surrendered to the earth’s intelligence, we could rise up rooted, like 
trees.” Rainer Maria Rilke


> On Jun 15, 2021, at 4:07 PM, 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 
>  on behalf of Linda Orkin 
> 
> Date: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 3:02 PM
> To: CAYUGABIRDS-L 
> 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
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> Please submit your observations to eBird!
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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Kenneth V. Rosenberg]

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 
 on behalf of Linda Orkin 

Date: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 3:02 PM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L 
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
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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Fields being mowed.

[Sheila Ann Dean]

I don't know anything about why fields are mowed, or when, but I've noticed
this year and last that the far Mineah Road fields have been mowed when
Bobolinks are nesting. I believe that's Cornell land.
Sheila

On Tue, Jun 15, 2021 at 3:02 PM Linda Orkin  wrote:

> 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/
>
> --
>
>

-- 
Sheila Ann Dean
Natural Selection Editing and Research
1622 Ellis Hollow Road
Ithaca, NY 14850
USA
www.naturalselectionediting.com

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