WALPOLE, N.H. – Connecticut River Valley Grassland Bird Project is celebrating a successful nesting season for eastern meadowlarks in the Connecticut River Valley. New England has lost more than 95% of its meadowlark population in the past 50 years, making every successful nest vitally important.
Conventional haying schedules overlap with the meadowlark nesting season, and successful nesting requires targeted management and collaboration with landowners. We are grateful to Sullivan County farmers Alan Putnam, Leo Roy, and Norm St. Aubin for adjusting their hayfield management to protect meadowlark nests and give young birds the time they need to develop flight skills.
We’d also like to thank Jen Armstrong, Coleen Lawlor, and Cat Abbott for volunteering their time to locate and monitor meadowlark nests throughout the season. A fourth successful nest was documented in Rockingham, Vt., on land owned by Great River Hydro, with financial support for delayed mowing provided by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Together, these efforts demonstrate what is possible when farmers, landowners, volunteers, and conservation partners work together to give meadowlarks the time and habitat they need to raise young.
The Connecticut River Grassland Bird Outreach Initiative is supported by a partnership among Windham County NRCD, Cheshire County Conservation District, Ottauquechee NRCD, and a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation – Northeast Forests and Rivers Fund.
Learn more about the Connecticut River Grassland Bird Initiative at www.windhamcountynrcd.org/connecticut-river-valley-grassland-bird-project.