Mowing Day 2014 – fire safety at great cost to wild birds

It’s Mowing Day in the field below us… Every year the county mows, once the rains have stopped, the grasses have begun to dry out, and before the fireworks start.  While we do appreciate the fire safety, it is downright tragic for the birds who nest in the tall grasses field–all of whose nests are destroyed.

It’s just gutting to see the pairs flying out of the way of the mower, then returning and walking around where their nests had been.  Any baby birds not killed by the mower are destined to die, on the ground, fully exposed, in the heat and the desiccating wind.

Last year there were no blackbirds to speak of, possibly as a result of the destruction of all the nests the year before. This year there was one brave male with brought orange epaulets who ventured into our yard… I wish him well!

I wish there was a way to preserve some part of the field for the nesting birds, with the requisite fire buffer. Maybe I’ll contact the County, or Elkhorn Slough Foundation… and research what blackbirds eat. Let’s see if we can somehow lure them to a safer spot. Our yard isn’t that big, but we can try.