The Maryland DNR page about meadow creation and management suggests mowing either late fall or early spring; we think early spring is best as it should still be prior to the beginning of nesting for the majority of birds and will still allow you to deal with shrub growth before the plants break dormancy. There is no one window of time that overwintering pollinators or other beneficial insects emerge from winter dormancy, so there's always going to be a small risk of disrupting a part of the life cycle for some species. If your meadow is large enough, you could reduce that impact by mowing each half every other year, so the alternation allows for a refuge for those animals able to move out of the way or to have portions of their population that aren't impacted. Natural fires in meadows are a form of disruption, of course, so in nature, species utilizing meadows fortunately have a degree of tolerance for this kind of interference.

Miri

Thank you.  I like the idea of mowing half and alternating the half that is mowed every year. 

David 

You're welcome.