Hello, Below is the response I got from the person I contacted at Cooperative Extension.
Patrizia > > > Patrizia - I got more information about mowing early in the season. I also > talked with Graham Savio (CCE Tompkins Ag Issue Leader) who is hoping to > develop a payment for ecosystem services regarding nesting sometime this next > year (fingers crossed). > > ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~- RESPONSE FROM FARMER -~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ > Thanks for reaching out. Mowing as early as possible in the season is tied > to nutritional quality of the feed. If we were to move mowing to August, the > crop would have significantly less nutritional value than mowing in late > May/early June. I do recognize that it is a hazard for ground nesting birds. > You could share that many fields that farmers graze in, they hold off on > clipping these pastures in order to provide habitat for these populations. I > myself do that - the field you and I were in up top - I often wait until the > bobolinks have fledged to clip that field. It's not a perfect answer, but > it's the best answer I can provide! -- 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/ --
