Re: [Maine-birds] Bobolinks

Maybe this discussion doesn't belong here…..but, this is a difficult issue and I have to support Sarah's comments. 

We are organic meat farmers and for years did not have bobolinks in our smaller hay fields. They are there now, perhaps

because the huge field up the road where they used to nest in is now a 10 house lot development. 

We are far from ignorant about this problem, nor as life long birders are we disconnected from nature's cycles.

But, humans have to eat and some one raises that

food. Even vegetable farmers clear land. So what else can be done to protect the hayfields and the birds that need them? I don't know the answer, but blaming farmers doesn't help. 

Being paid to postpone haying still means someone else is cutting somewhere and we will then have to pay a high price for hay (which also has to be pesticide/herbicide free). 

No easy answers for anyone here.

On Jun 5, 2016, at 7:52 AM, Sarah Caputo wrote:

I feel obligated to point out that farmers are not doing 'early haying' out of ignorance.  If you wait 2 mo to harvest hay it is not terribly edible and nutritional quality goes down.  Good for big bale cow hay only.  If you happen to be selling to private buyers for horses or small farm livestock most people want second cut because the animals do not want to eat stemmy hay and much is wasted.  Most farmers have already got a cut in by now.  Additionally, milk prices are still hovering at $13-15 a hundredwt ( was in the mid 20's last year), and any animal feed you can grow yourself is going to save a great deal of money.  I'm not sure what the solution is - the govt does pay farmers to leave fields fallow or delay haying but it is not necessarily enough to make it worthwhile.  More hedgerows, preserved land and less urban sprawl?  There are Bobolinks nesting in an open field up the road from me - have been there for years - the fields are now for sale for house lots.


Sarah 

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From: tpackie@gmail.com
Date: Sun, 5 Jun 2016 06:52:27 -0400
Subject: Re: [Maine-birds] Bobolinks
To: geoffives@gmail.com
CC: maine-birds@googlegroups.com; jillmcm1970@yahoo.com

I think we have lost the bobolinks at the Stone Barn Farm on MDI due to early haying as well. We thought we saw a few birds earlier but nothing recently. I blame the ignorance of modern farmers on their disconnection with nature's life cycles.No meadowlark either. T

On Fri, Jun 3, 2016 at 8:51 PM, Geoffrey Ives <geoffives@gmail.com> wrote:

I beg the hay guy to wait until July 15th. I'm glad to hear there are more elsewhere. We've lost the Meadow Lark and the Whip-Poor-Will. Life's not the same.

On Friday, June 3, 2016 at 7:46:20 PM UTC-4, Julia Hanauer wrote:

I'm so glad. Enjoy them.
 They hayed early last year and my sense is we are missing a couple (dawn chorus is not as loud). But I don't have any real data. I'm worried they will hay early again this year. 

On Fri, Jun 3, 2016 at 7:36 PM, 'Jill' via Maine birds <maine...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

They must all be here in Pittsfield - we have dozens of displaying males, when we normally have a fraction of that amount.

> On Jun 2, 2016, at 8:35 PM, Geoffrey Ives <geof...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> As usual we have multiple nesting pairs of bobolinks however, I'm pretty sure the counts are low. Last year they were higher - I counted up to 12 males at one time. This year the most I've seen at once are 4. Worried.
>
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