In 2021, we joined the amazing Applied Farmscape Ecology Research Collaborative at the Hudson Valley Farm Hub. This project explores the breeding and migratory ecology of grassland songbirds that nest in an isolated and recently established kernza field (see picture above), originally planted in 2017. Compared to our work in the Champlain Valley of Vermont, this newly established population is isolated in the largely forested landscape. While we primarily focus on Bobolinks and Savannah Sparrows, Eastern Meadowlarks are present, and Grasshopper Sparrows and Sedge Wrens seem to sneak around too. We are largely focused on movement ecology, understanding where and when these birds go places outside of the Farm Hub. This includes both during and outside of the breeding season. The animation below shows the annual life-cycle of one Bobolink that bred on the Farm Hub.
