Fall Bobolink
This Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) was a beautiful sight for the first day of October as it fed on seeds with sparrows, especially once it allowed this great a look. Keep an eye on your fields, grasslands, gardens and farms for more birds like this one still heading out and other new migrant species – like the Vesper Sparrow – arriving soon.
Read MoreBobolink
The Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) are back! This bird of the grasslands is returning to those habitats and fields or farms across the region. This is a good time to find males like this one perched on tall grass or hedgerows, fluttering and calling out with their bubbly, rich song. You may find migrant flocks with a bunch of them all quite conspicuous – at least for now, before nesting season begins. This individual perched on a white pine along with a few others while overlooking a grassland. There is no better reason than hosting some families of Bobolinks to let your grassland,...
Read MoreButtercups and Bobolinks
Fields painted yellow, birds singing and the sun shining, what else could we ask for? Throughout Chautauqua County the fields are becoming seas of gold as the buttercups bloom. These common flowers don’t just make a large grassy field pretty, but also provide habitat and cover for a number of breeding grassland birds. For Bobolinks in particular, these fields provide a great deal of food, abundant nesting materials and a safe haven to raise their young. As we have been conducting vegetation surveys at the Chautauqua County-Jamestown Airport, we have been surrounded by these incredible...
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