At least 24 bobolinks seen on Croton Point Park's main landfill this am including three observed singing males and one male seen in song display flight. Two different grasshopper sparrows singing with a third one seen perched in different area of landfill. An eastern meadowlark was also seen perched up singing. (And...there's a ring-necked pheasant of unknown origin continuing in the park, seen again this am by another birder.)
Quick update on Croton Point landfill those interested in this ongoing issue: A reduced, more bird-friendly mowing plan for the Croton Point main landfill was proposed this winter by a coalition of local Audubon chapters through the Westchester County Parks Dept and agreed to by the county Dept Env Facilities which manages the capped landfill. This reduced mowing plan is particularly focused in areas of native grasses on the landfill with minimal mowing only for paths to monitoring wells and around these wells. (In addition, some areas of invasive mugwort have been mown this spring as requested.) However, there is some replacement/repair of underground landfill piping that will likely need to happen in the coming months. This may impact some of the landfill grassland habitat short term. The county parks department has also engaged a meadow management specialist to inventory and map the landfill vegetation and prepare a long-term habitat improvement and management plan. Anne Swaim Saw Mill River Audubon www.sawmillriveraudubon.org -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
