June 14th 2024.
The situation at County Line Orchard in Hobart regarding the nesting of grassland birds has caused quite a stir on social media. It seems that the orchard's overflow parking lot, which is used in the fall and was scheduled for haying this month, is actually a prime nesting spot for these birds. This sparked a debate about whether the haying should be delayed until after nesting season to avoid disrupting the birds' habitat.
The matter came to the attention of the public on June 12, when the Chicago Ornithological Society shared a post by Ken Wysocki, a content creator from Blue Island, Illinois. Unfortunately, Wysocki could not be reached for comment. According to his post, there are 12 pairs of nesting dickcissels, 6 pairs of nesting bobolinks, and 4 pairs of nesting Savannah sparrows in the area. This is quite a significant number, considering the tens of thousands of visitors that the orchard receives and the millions of dollars it brings to the local economy.
The post also mentions that the parking lot often overflows into the field where the birds nest, and this has been a problem for the past few years. It is alleged that the mowing of the field during breeding season has caused harm to the birds and their young. However, an employee of County Line Orchard, who chose to remain anonymous, stated that the field is a working field used to feed farm animals. The overflow parking is only necessary for about two months during the orchard season.
Luckily, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources has stepped in to address the situation. Adam Delucenay, the North Grassland Biologist, has received calls from concerned citizens and has even spoken to a representative from County Line Orchard. While the nesting birds are not considered threatened or endangered, it is unfortunate that their nesting sites may be lost. However, Delucenay clarified that the orchard is not violating any DNR rules and has already decided to delay the haying until August when nesting season is over.
Delucenay also mentioned that although there is nothing preventing the orchard from haying if they choose to, they have decided to use this time to come up with a management plan for the future. On Thursday, County Line Orchard released a statement on Facebook addressing the situation. In their statement, they explained that they have been a working farm since 1984 and follow the same planting and harvesting cycles as other farmers in the community. However, the statement has since been removed from their Facebook page and they have not responded to requests for comment.
In the end, it seems that the issue has been resolved for now, with the haying being delayed and plans for future management being discussed. It is clear that County Line Orchard is committed to being a responsible member of the community and taking the necessary steps to preserve the natural habitat of the grassland birds. Let's hope that a solution can be reached that benefits both the orchard and the birds in the long run.
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