I have noticed the correspondence on the Manassas Battlefield land
management " improvements " and in particular Todd Day's comments on the
grassland mowing practices. Kim Peacock and myself carried out the regular
breeding
bird census last Saturday and Sunday in the NW sector of the park.
None of the extensive grassland area had been cut ( probably weather
related ) but all the grass was exactly the same height ( 18 inches or so )
making
for a monoculture. We counted 0 Bobwhites ( versus 5 to 10 in previous years
) , only 5 Eastern Meadowlark and about the same for Grasshopper Sparrows. In
fact there is such a lack of song perches in the meadows under these
conditions that at least 3 of the Grasshopper Sparrows were using 30 to 40 foot
high
Red Cedars along the edge of the fields as song posts.
Grassland breeding species need a variety of vegetation heights and in
particular Eastern Meadowlark , Vesper Sparrows , Northern Bobwhite need some
very short grass even bare earth areas for optimum breeding conditions.
I hope that we can learn from this years experience , and that future
mowing practices leave a variety of vegetation heights and cover .
John Drummond
Ashburn
Loudoun County.
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