They’re Flocking to Reedy Fork

"[caption id=""attachment_1429"" align=""alignright"" width=""300""] The rare Dickcissel, seen at Reedy Fork Farm![/caption]You won’t believe who’s coming to Reedy Fork these days. Just a couple Saturdays ago, 30 Grasshopper Sparrows, 22 Indigo Buntings and 8 Blue Grosbeaks met up with a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, three Red-bellied Woodpecker and an Acadian Flycatcher. How do we know this? It turns out that lots of birds love organic farms, and consequently so do avid birdwatchers, like Nate Swick, a well-known North Carolina birder and conservationist. He just conducted a bird survey at Reedy Fork, similar to surveys conducted on other organic farms in the US and Nicaragua. He counted a total of 46 different species of birds on his watch. He was really excited to hear and see a dickcissel, as the last recorded sighting in Guilford County was way back in 1983. Organic farming brings in the birds! Some are local, and some are migratory. Most of them eat lots of insects so they’re always welcome. Surveys like these document that organic, sustainable farms provide a perfect environment for an active and varied bird population. Birding enthusiasts point out that organic, sustainable farming benefits all of us – the farmers, the environment and the earth we all share. *See the complete bird survey taken at Reedy Fork here. Photo Credit: Nate Swick, cc. "