Mowing companions

TimSullivan · Jul 8, 2002

When I mow the 8 acre field in front of our new home. I get one of two escorts. One is a small hawk about the size of a large robin. May be it is a kestrel. It follows the cutter and drops on anything small that is scared out. It just fluters along behind, catches its food and flies to the woods. Then returns and starts all over again. If I start the tractor in the barn, it is waiting for me on a fence post by the time I back out. It drives my large dog crazy when we take a walk. The bird just keeps flying in a circle over us. The dog ends up turning around and around watching the bird. Finally starts to bark at it and it flies away for a while.

The other visitors are a group of swallows. I have been able to keep them out of the barn but they have nests in an old shed. If the little flies are particularly bad, the swallows show up in force and I get an air show. These birds are not afraid of me or the tractor and buss me repeatedly. I have the feeling that if I would turn the tractor quickly I could get a bird in the ear. The insects that were driving me crazy one minute are gone in a flash. I feel like I have a fighter escort all my own.

This is the first time I have owned a large property and been able to really enjoy the land and its creatures.

pajoube · Jul 8, 2002

See, as you take good care of your property, the wild life is taking care of you.
Love to hear a good relationship like yours.
PJ

Chuck52 · Jul 8, 2002

I was out cutting some really tall stuff over the weekend during the heat if the day. I'm used to having the swallows doing their tricks while I mow, but seems to me they usually are out in force later, closer to twilight. This time I had a bluejay out chasing the insects I was scaring up. I was surprised at how acrobatic this jay was in chasing butterflies.

Chuck

BB_TX · Jul 8, 2002

Ain't it great! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I often have a rather large hawk watch me when I mow the pasture, particularly when I mow the lower pasture after it is fairly high. I occasionally look behind me just in time to see him (her?) dive on a mouse that no longer had any cover.

njrqs · Jul 8, 2002

Butcher Birds are the most common mowing companions here.

They follow any mower and must be able to get the bugs etc. that are scared out or maybe they can see them better with the cut grass.

I dunno but it is cool having them follow you around !

Cheers

Inspector507 · Jul 8, 2002

I have a pair of swallows that seem to want to "dive bomb" me when I'm out back mowing. They come out of the neighbors barn. They never seem to get any closer than 10' or so, but it makes ya nervous at times.

cstocks · Jul 9, 2002

My most common companions are cowbirds, which I believe are actually white egrets. The other day I was mowing my three acre pasture and I noticed a single egret on the first pass. Second pass there were three egrets. Then four, then six until about half way through mowing I counted thirteen of them. They would move to the east side as I mowed the west side and as I moved over to the west side I would look and they would be on the east side, hunting and pecking for bugs or seeds in the fresh cut grass.

They are called cowbirds because you see them hanging out around and sometimes actually sitting on cows. I have heard that they eat the flies that buzz around the cows and I have heard that they eat seeds and such out of the cow pies. Whether either is true I haven't a clue. I have never taken the time to find out. I do know there are no cowpies on my lot so they must be eating either bugs or "fresh" seeds.

Chris

s1120 · Jul 9, 2002

I know what you say. When I mow my land I have two hawks that will fly around. I also get a ton of crows, and outher smaller birds that chow down in the cut areas.

Bird · Jul 9, 2002

When brush hogging pastures or cutting hay around here, it's quite common to have hawks catching mice behind the mower, just occasionally have a flock of white egrets following the mower, and occasionally have a coyote working the field to catch mice; one day had 5 coyotes in the field at once.

Dale Binkley · Jul 9, 2002

When I mow grass in the late afternoon or early evening, I am joined by about a dozen barn swallows from the farm across the field behind us. They show up as soon as I pull the Kubota out of the shed. I have noticed that they do not come around when any of the neighbors cut grass with smaller lawn tractors. Have not yet figured out if I stir up more of a smorgasboard for them or if they cannot hear the other lawn tractors. They certainly are enjoyable to watch as they swoop and dive around. Sometimes it is hard to concentrate on watching where I am mowing as I become engrossed in watching Mother Nature at work.