07 May Mon 2012
Procter has Bobolinks!
I know these blackbirds aren't exactly rare, but I was so excited to hear the males singing yesterday and today as I was planting outside. Back in college I took an ornithology class and the boblink was one of the birds we had to know (song and ID) and also tried to see out on one of our field trips. I never saw it though its song was one I really liked b/c of the clever way it can be remembered. The song sounds like R2D2 (from Star Wars)!
Bobolinks make nests on the ground in meadows and fields. In this habitat they can easily hide amongst the long grasses and forage on seeds and insects. Becuase many fields are often mowed or harvested for hay the nestlings don't always have a chance to leave the nest, causing mortality and a decrease in species numbers. Luckily, Procter, in an effort to conserve time and fuel emissions, has decreased the areas that will be mowed this year, leaving the back pastures around the farm uncut. Isn't it great that doing one thing good for the environment has yielded other unforseen benefits as well?
Check out the picture of a boblink on the deer fence below:
