Cheer up our lawns here in Danby,  south west Vermont are soggy also!  The 
vast majority of my lot is an old pasture slowly growing back in. I do mow 
aprox. an acre or more around the buildings.     And the birds love it! 
Even the Woodcock retreats to the shorter grass along with all of the other 
grassland birds.  Easier to move about to find food or feed the velcro 
younguns!  In the last week I have seen Bobolinks, Vesper Sparrow, Meadow 
Lark ,Savannahs', Song and Chipping Sparrows all with young in tow.  At any 
time there will be a Robin, Red-wing, Flicker and the resident Blue birds on 
the lawn looking for food.   I believe the following is also related to the 
lawn mower!   Since I built here mowing over the last 8 years the Ruffed 
Grouse have moved in.  Saturday a short walk to the lower meadow flushed a 
mom and 9 young.   I have read articles that they relate to the two-cycle 
engine noise that is similar to their drumming.   So which every your 
preference, natural or culture lawns enjoy the birds in your yard.
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From: "Maeve Kim" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, June 30, 2013 4:41 PM
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: [VTBIRD] ninja redstart

> I was out mowing my lawn today (SO much fun to have water rise halfway up 
> my shoes with every step) when I became aware of an insistent noise. It 
> sounded like a redstart, but my mower is really loud. It didn't seem 
> possible that I could hear the bird over all that racket. Suddenly I 
> realized that the bird was right over my head, flying back and forth, 
> cussing at me with gusto and eloquence. Then the little thing swooped low 
> right over the mower! - I was afraid that I'd hit it, or that maybe I was 
> close to running over a fledgling (or, worse, that I'd already done so), 
> so I stopped the mower and looked all around, but I didn't find anything. 
> As soon as the mower noise died, the redstart retreated to a low branch on 
> an apple tree. I pushed the mower away, deciding that other parts of the 
> lawn needed attention.
>
> Along with nesting redstarts, the phoebe nesting in the barn has 
> successfully fledged three or four young and the resident macho House Wren 
> has several young from one nest and appears to be feeding young in a 
> second nest.  I think the Song Sparrow might have lost her clutch, maybe 
> to heavy rains.
>
> Maeve Kim
> Jericho Center
>