Bird Watching: Daily Bird Pictures, Vol. 356, 1 by reddirtretiree

reddirtretiree wrote:
Yes, it is good to see a Bobwhite. Their numbers continue to decline dramatically. Quail hunting and quail conservation was my passion for most of my life. A couple of years ago, I adopted my dogs out and hung it up. It's just a losing cause. TX and OK are the two last bastions of wild BW pops, but they are going to hell in a hand basket, too. Both states do a quail survey every fall where they run a 20-mile route in every county. Not that many years ago, I would peruse these for hunting areas and considered 20 birds/route necessary for a good season. OK's statewide average per route this year was 1.9 birds. We are off 71% from the 20-year average.

Bobwhites are just not adaptable birds. They seem to be going the way of the prairie chickens. About the saddest thing I can imagine is an Oklahoma morning without a bobwhite's whistle. :-(

Another BW pic.