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| Female Bobolink |
Each year many Bobolinks nest in our fields, mostly in the 30-acre Lot. Alas, this is often one of our earliest fields for harvest, which makes for a perilous situation for these grassland members of the blackbird family.
This year the weather set us back by weeks (and is still doing so) and the boss decided to do the Old Spreader Field first. Thus the 30-acre Lot is still standing tall and waving in the breeze, although we would love it if it was in the barn instead. However, 18 hours of rain on top of that awful storm last week has made that pretty unlikely.
However, thanks to the late, late season for hay, the Bobolinks, which have colonized Hickory Tree and Old Pasture Lots as well, have hatched, reared, and fledged lots of little Bobolinks.
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| Recently fledged youngster |
Silver lining anyone?
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| Angry House Wren, who would prefer that I stop watering the plants on the porch so she can have it all to herself. |
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4 comments:
MY FIRST! I now know what a Bobolink looks like! YAY! Thank you!
I'm always amazed at how what I do affects the plants and animals in our yard. I found out Goldenrod inhibits other plants, so I pulled it out of all of my wild flower beds last fall and I have so many more of the other flowers I like. My neighbor stopped mowing his yard this year and there are so many more Goldfinch this year. I think it's due to all the thistle in his yard.
Silver lining, indeed! But won't all those new Bobolinks be nesting next year in the filed you like to mow early? But what a treat this year!
Linda, this one is a female. The males in breeding season are very different, with black, white and yellow that are very bright. I totally love the way they sound. If you don't have them check out a video or the Cornell website. They are so cool!
Jonna, That is news to me about the goldenrod. I have a lot invading all over the place. I'll have to get after it! And our pastures are infested with thistles, which makes a mess, but we do have a lot of goldfinches. lol
Jacqueline, It is really hard to manage around the Bobolinks. The earlier hay is cut the more valuable it is, and we are only able to hang onto this place if we can sell enough hay to pay the taxes. However, of course the Bobolinks need us to wait to mow until mid-July at the very earliest, to successfully nest. We have fields that are growing up....too much for the boss to handle in a season...where they could have the place to themselves, but they seem to like the active hay fields best. This year the weather was fortuitous for them. Next year, who knows?
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