Greg--
     It is depressing but not altogether surprising to hear your news.
Huffman Prairie has hosted many interesting birds and plants over the
years, nearly all discovered by Nature Conservancy researchers. This
used to be an upland sandpiper breeding spot; fat chance now. I believe
you can be sure TNC did not agree to mowing this area at this time of
year. I also believe you are right to suspect the Federal agencies,
especially the Air Force, as the instigators.
     Birdlife is being discouraged near airports. In addition, birders
have reported being banished from traditional Ohio airport sites based
on what are claimed to be heightened security concerns, and at least one
Federal agency (APHIS, the lead agency on the cormorant culling here as
well as the poisoning of crows in several nearby states) seems
dedicating to trumpeting the threat to aircraft presented by free-flying
birds. It's hard to find an airport where increased bureaucratic
paranoia has not made things more difficult for birders, and also far
more importantly for birds. After all, eliminating birds will help
discourage those toters of scopes (or are they grenade launchers?) who
lurk along the fences at airports, speaking in foreign tongues
("Bartramia longicauda," for example).
Bill Whan
Columbus

Greg Spahr wrote:

 > I visited Huffman Prairie (In Greene County near Dayton and Fairborn)
on June 18th.  Wonderful birds, including Bobolinks and Meadowlarks
defending their nests, Common Yellowthroats all over the place, and
other nice birds detected like a single Blue Grosbeak.  Last night (June
21) I visited the site and found that every square inch of the prairie
has been mowed.  Looking at the Species Accounts of Ohio Breeding Birds
(http://www.ohiobirds.org/obba2/pdfs/pdfselect.php) it is plain to see
that we haven't yet passed the safe dates for fledging of Bobolinks,
Grasshopper Sparrows, Meadowlarks or Yellowthroats, all of which have
been detected at Huffman this year.  It is reasonable to assume that
nesting attempts of these declining birds have been destroyed by the
mowing this week.  This prairie is managed by the United States Air
Force, the National Park Service and the Nature Conservancy.  I have
already written to the Nature Conservancy because I figured it was the
best place to start.  I am very disappointed, they could not have picked
a worse time to mow if they had tried.  Sorry for the rant folks, I just
could not hold in my disappointment at this.  I am sure the explanation
will be either national security or fire protection, we shall see.
 >
 > Good Birding,
 >
 > Greg Spahr
 > Fairborn, OH

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