No Birds Here

Acres of farmland without plants and insects, Ottawa County, Ohio, early May 2017 (photo by Kate St.John)
Acres of farmland without plants and insects, Ottawa County, Ohio, early May 2017 (photo by Kate St.John)

Early this month I wrote about the decline of nighthawks, swifts and swallows and the parallel decline of their food supply, flying insects.  Why are insects declining?  In a comment Gene suggested that, in addition to insecticides, herbicides play a role.  Here’s why that makes sense.

I’m a city person so farm practices are somewhat mysterious to me.  Nonetheless, in the last 20 years I’ve noticed a change in how the fields look in the spring.  They used to green up with the rest of the landscape but now most of them are brown and as empty as parking lots like the one shown above.  There are no birds here, no swallows wheeling overhead.

The fields look different because herbicides are used to control the weeds. There are different poisons for different crops — for instance one for soybeans, another for corn — and the crops are engineered so they can grow in the presence of specific poisons.

Herbicides are a very labor saving device.  When applied in the fall they keep the fields weed free all winter right up to spring planting.  Consequently, the fields don’t have to be tilled (that’s why they look like parking lots).  The absence of plants means there are no insects, another benefit for the crop.

As the growing season begins you can tell where herbicide has been used because there’s a stark mechanical line between treated fields and the neighboring untreated landscape.

The telltale brown-green line: brown where herbicide was applied, green where not (photo by Kate St. John)
The telltale brown-green line: brown where herbicide was applied, green where not (photo by Kate St. John)

 

Here’s a field where there are birds.

This field is green though weedy, Ottawa County, Ohio, early May 2017 (photo by Kate St. John)
This field is green though weedy, Ottawa County, Ohio, early May 2017 (photo by Kate St. John)

Yes, those plants are weeds.  They will probably be treated with herbicide soon and the field will turn from green to yellow as they die.

Because of herbicides and insecticides, large scale farming takes less work.  Millions of acres of U.S. farmland are truly empty now.  No plants.  No insects.  No birds here.

 

p.s. As I say, I’m a city person and don’t know much about farming so if I’ve got it wrong please leave a comment to correct me.

(photos by Kate St. John)

8 thoughts on “No Birds Here

  1. You are right. Also look at the powerful chemical industries such as Dow and Monsanto. And how they have been welcomed into current White House, EPA,and Dept. of Agriculture. Rachel Carson wouldn’t have a chance today

  2. I saw somerhing on the nest cam last night that I have never seen before. It was sometime between 11PM and 12AM central time.
    Dori was feeding her chicks what looked like a bird. I don”t know why, but I though Peregrines did not hunt after dark.

    1. Karen, Louie is famous for hunting at night during migration. The city lights illuminate the sky so I’m sure he can see the flocks traveling overhead.

  3. Just returned from air travel across the Midwest and your comments about spraying give a most plausible explanation of why the fields looked so brown rather than the green I’ve seen in other years.

  4. My lawn consists of some grass, lots of weeds and many “dandy lions”. I once told my young grandson that my garden was weeds because some of the prettiest flowers in nature are what other people call weeds and they grow naturally where they are happiest. He loved that!

  5. Those fields are sprayed in the springtime and will be planted with corn and or soybeans.
    These crops are called” Roundup ready crops” ( as in Montsanto’s Round up that everyone buys to kill weeds around home).
    Unfortunately it is the way most farmers are going now a days, and it sure doesn’t look like it’s going to change in this new administration.

  6. There is another reason for no till fields. It is supposed to reduce soil erosion & the clogging of creeks & rivers with muddy runoff water. The no till also saves the farmer lots of fuel as they don’t have to run the tractors to till the fields. Less running of the tractors = less carbon emissions, less use of fossil fuels. So it is a win some lose some situation.

    As Carol mentioned above, there is nothing wrong with a lawn of “weeds”. It is horrifying when you realize all the nasty chemicals that are used to get a weed free unnaturally green lawn. And it is all right in your neighborhood, park, & golf course. The farms are not the only place treated with chemicals.

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