For no particular reason, I decided to give myself a present today and paid an overdue visit to the Miner preserve. My main reason for going was that I wanted to check on the signature birds, the Bobolinks, and they were not shy about putting on a show in the breezy sunshine. The "Bobs," of course, are mostly coupled and busy raising kids, which are carefully hidden in the tall grass the musical birds use as a nurseries. Many farmers are now busy turning the grass into hay, and that is why Bobolink populations are in such sharp decline. To nurture a crop of fledglings requires that the meadows remain untouched until August, a restriction that no hay farmer could accommodate. Miner, however, is a different kind of farm, so the grass is allowed to grow... and the Bobolinks are busy bringing new grassland-dependent birds into the fold. it's hard work, but parents sometimes need a break, so, periodically, the guys take to the air to show off their flying prowess. Perhaps their mates are impressed—if the moms aren't too busy to pay attention.