The year’s almost over and I realize that once again I haven’t seen a Bobolink. In fact, I haven’t seen Bobolinks in years. My spot for Bobolinks was an unspoiled short grass prairie. These birds, with their distinctive warbling calls would hover and circle over their territories. And you could see them hanging onto the sides of weed stalks, black-chested birds in Spring with that unexpected yellow-white nape coloration. Pretty cool. But the powers that be—including well-intentioned nature lovers—decided to turn the wild prairie into a botanic garden. Now it’s just another tamed and sculpted piece of land. It’s nice to look at, with planted gardens, exotic trees and tram rides. And there are some birds hanging around. But no Bobolinks. They’ve bobbed on out of there.
bobolink–right on- I think I know that botanic garden and it destroyed a wonderful area that produced spring tundra swans and bobolinks. in fall–night heron roosts, waterfowl conventions, and large blackbird gatherings including hundreds of rusties. also, a fantastic shorebird area under and north of the bridge that once had a fall curlew sandp., spring hud godwit, and 135 yellowlegs at one time.