Re: [Maine-birds] Bobolinks

I'm an avid birder and also a consumer of high quality hay (which is very difficult to find here in Maine).  Waiting until July to harvest hay means that the hay farmer loses at least half their crop, and the people needing good hay lose as well.  The best solution for the birds and the people (and animals) dependent on hay would be to set aside refugia every year - areas of fields that stay fallow, areas that are being reseeded, etc. - and not hay them at all or until after nesting.  We do this with our fields - one section is fallow each year.  But it's unrealistic to expect farmers who grow hay for a living, and those of us dependent on it for our animals, to not hay at all until July.  Far better to ask them to rest a section each year, and explain to them why it's important.  Some will listen, some won't - but calling them ignorant of what's happening in their fields won't get you anywhere.    

 

Jill McElderry-Maxwell 

Bag End Suri Alpacas of ME, LLC - ¡BESAME! 

226 Snakeroot Rd 

 Pittsfield, ME  04967 

(207) 660-5276 (cell) 

bagendsuris@gmail.com

http://www.bagendsuris.com

---

From: Geoffrey Ives <geoffives@gmail.com>
To: Maine birds <maine-birds@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Monday, June 6, 2016 11:31 AM
Subject: Re: [Maine-birds] Bobolinks

I think this is a great place to discuss this issue. I would gladly pay my hay guy to not hay until July 10 or after. But, I'm just one patch of a larger field. So I'd have to get the neighbors on board too. I'm willing to pay for that too, if it would work. I realize the farmer needs the best hay possible. They'd like to get multiple cuts if possible. For me, I am on the side of the birds. I suspect there's trouble for the bob-o-links in South America too. We're going to loose them if we aren't careful and managed.

This is where larger organizations could assist with education on bird nesting behaviors and perhaps subsidizing programs to help farmers who don't hay until later.

On Sunday, June 5, 2016 at 8:38:30 PM UTC-4, Sean Hatch wrote:

There are always abundant at the Damariscotta River Association Farm off Belvadere Rd. I walk that property all times a year and often. This time of year the Bobolinks are a joy to behold. Mobile and vocal. True natural beauty.

--
Maine birds mailing list
maine-birds@googlegroups.com
http://groups.google.com/group/maine-birds
https://sites.google.com/site/birding207
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Maine birds" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to maine-birds+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.