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Posted by Sunny on June 4, 2009, 11:21 am
We live adjacent to a small wash -- scrub bushes, wild lupines and
sages. It's full of birds, especially quail. They are everywhere,
bobbing their little heads and generally making us laugh. We have
turned our yard into a quail habitat. We've had at least two quail
nests among our raised-bed gardens every year for the past five or
six. The "crow" of the little males wakes us in the morning and
entertains us late in the day as they call the covey to roost.
Last year new neighbors moved in. They've got several young kids and
they actually own the wash. It's not develop-able so we didn't worry.
This spring when the severe cold of winter was over we began to see
their kitty out and about. He's even belled. But I also began to
notice that every time I saw him he was carrying a bird in his mouth.
Then I began seeing him in the wash hunting, all day.
Today I realized it's been weeks since I heard a quail in our yard or
out in the wash. They no longer roost in our juniper trees. The quail
are gone. No little babies running around this spring, no hens running
a crazy zig zag path down the driveway followed by a bevy of babies.
Nothing. One kitty has wiped out what was probably 60-100 quail that
lived in and around our yard for 10 years.
More than a month ago I gently brought up the issue with the neighbor
and she just sort of shrugged saying she couldn't do anything about
it.
So today I'm sad. A lovely part of the place we live is gone, perhaps
for good. This isn't a condemnation of anybody or anything, just sort
of a mourning for something that brought joy to my life and now is
gone. My husband asked me not to talk about it -- it makes him too
sad and nothing we do can change the situation. So I'm posting here
and trying not to cry.
Sunny
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Posted by monique on June 4, 2009, 11:25 am
Sunny wrote:
One kitty has wiped out what was probably 60-100 quail that
show/hide quoted text
> lived in and around our yard for 10 years.
Grrr. Makes you want to shake someone, doesn't it? Bet your neighbors
would be upset if you let a big dog roam loose. Aren't there animal
laws where you live? If kitty could be kept indoors, the quail might
come back.
Monique in TX
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Posted by Janner on June 4, 2009, 11:55 am
Oh, how selfish and sad. You'd think that they would care seeing as
they own it?
Up until a couple of weeks ago our hedges here were alive with birds and
young, but it has all gone quiet, quite strange really. Found out why
yesterday, there is a snake living in the hedge, that can go real fast
and climbing (?) up a tree is no problem. No idea what sort, brown,
possibly an adder or a grass snake. Although the temperature is in the
low 30s celsuis (Don't know the conversion), have been wearing DH boots
outside, instead of the usual flip-flops! Have sprayed around snake
repellent, DDs think that it smells like granny perfume, if it doesn't
work will throw bottle at snake and hope that, that works!!!!! DDs have
suggested throwing a Granny at it...ummmm....don't quite know the answer
to that one!
Good luck. You can't encourage them in to your garden and scare off the
cat?
Janner
France
monique wrote:
show/hide quoted text
> Sunny wrote:
> One kitty has wiped out what was probably 60-100 quail that
>> lived in and around our yard for 10 years.
>
> Grrr. Makes you want to shake someone, doesn't it? Bet your neighbors
> would be upset if you let a big dog roam loose. Aren't there animal
> laws where you live? If kitty could be kept indoors, the quail might
> come back.
>
> Monique in TX
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Posted by Sandy on June 4, 2009, 1:41 pm
In article
show/hide quoted text
> We live adjacent to a small wash -- scrub bushes, wild lupines and
> sages. It's full of birds, especially quail.
Sunny, I'm so sorry! I love to watch quail, and I can understand how
devastating it must be to have lost the little families you watched for
so long.
--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
sw.foster1 (at) gmail (dot) com (remove/change the obvious)
http://www.sandymike.net
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Posted by Allison on June 4, 2009, 1:52 pm
How completely frustrating. I hope that at least some of the quails
have moved to a safer location. I dearly love cats but ours stay firmly
inside unless on a leash.
Allison
Sunny wrote:
show/hide quoted text
> We live adjacent to a small wash -- scrub bushes, wild lupines and
> sages. It's full of birds, especially quail. They are everywhere,
> bobbing their little heads and generally making us laugh. We have
> turned our yard into a quail habitat. We've had at least two quail
> nests among our raised-bed gardens every year for the past five or
> six. The "crow" of the little males wakes us in the morning and
> entertains us late in the day as they call the covey to roost.
>
> Last year new neighbors moved in. They've got several young kids and
> they actually own the wash. It's not develop-able so we didn't worry.
> This spring when the severe cold of winter was over we began to see
> their kitty out and about. He's even belled. But I also began to
> notice that every time I saw him he was carrying a bird in his mouth.
> Then I began seeing him in the wash hunting, all day.
>
> Today I realized it's been weeks since I heard a quail in our yard or
> out in the wash. They no longer roost in our juniper trees. The quail
> are gone. No little babies running around this spring, no hens running
> a crazy zig zag path down the driveway followed by a bevy of babies.
> Nothing. One kitty has wiped out what was probably 60-100 quail that
> lived in and around our yard for 10 years.
>
> More than a month ago I gently brought up the issue with the neighbor
> and she just sort of shrugged saying she couldn't do anything about
> it.
>
> So today I'm sad. A lovely part of the place we live is gone, perhaps
> for good. This isn't a condemnation of anybody or anything, just sort
> of a mourning for something that brought joy to my life and now is
> gone. My husband asked me not to talk about it -- it makes him too
> sad and nothing we do can change the situation. So I'm posting here
> and trying not to cry.
>
> Sunny
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