Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Grrr....

I spotted one of my eastern bluebirds dead in the pond yesterday, a very large bullfrog had half of it stuffed in it's mouth and had drowned it. I few hours later found the bluebird floating near the shore, grrrr.. I'm guessing this was one of the mated pairs we have using in the nesting boxes near our house.

Mother nature is still in control and not always nice to our way of thinking.

I know, eastern bluebirds are somewhat scarce around here, we are right on the edge of their western range. I would have prefered the BF had wacked a sparrow. My folks put out bunch of bluebird nesting boxes and tried for 15 plus years and never had them nesting at their old place. My folks seemed a little annoyed when they found out we had them nesting at our new place. My mom told she once saw a BF take down a robin one time while she mowing around their pond. I think I am going to have to give frog legs a try later this summer.

What? Bullfrogs eat birds? The dark side of Kermit.

When I lived at home my dad was really excited to see a Bob White quail on the property. We also lived on the edge of their range as some of our winters really do them in.

Anyway, he was driving the pick up truck down to the barn and the quail smacked against his windshield and was killed instantly. He was very disappointed to say the least!

Poor guy...

Eastern Bluebird huh? I'm looking for the frog that preys on Canada Geese and Great Blue Herons.

That'd be one scary frog... They're called alligators? HAHA

Quail are scarce over by you Cecil,? We have about the same winters here and we have them everywhere around here (1000 CRP around my house), pheasants are scarce but I still see them quite often when the fields are cut or burnt off..

Quail have all but disappeared in Texas. I and a neighbor bought some to restock but it didn't work. Lots of theories but not any sure thing about what happened. Not enough rain, too much rain, habitat change, fire ants, hogs are all theories.

I built some bluebird nests and actually got some nesting. Then the squirrels got into the nests.

Dave, I believe the reduction in fur trade resulting in less trapping and hunting of furbearers is having an effect on ground nesting birds, especially quail in Texas. When I was young (a long time ago) we used to run our trap lines before school. A big coon would bring close to $30 back then. I don't know of anyone that traps any more, and very few still hunt coons with dogs. I get pictures of double digit coons hanging off my deer feeders at night.

Very few quail around here. Just a few around here and there.

Hardly any quail in this part of NC. Seen them regular 25 years ago when foxes were scarce, and there were no coyotes here.

My dad still traps. He's nuts about it. There are a few trappers out there but no profit. The dinky amount one makes off most furs is not worth the effort. So it has to be a hobby. He does some nuisance trapping which is a bit profitable. IMO though, it is habitat loss and fragmentation that has led to the decline of quail and pheasants, at least here in the east.

Bingo! "Clean" farming practices (no fencerows, etc) have a lot to do with it too.

Here in the east and even Midwest, many areas that used to fields are now forest or housing developments. The "clean" farming is a huge factor. The increase is the use of fescue species is too. Fescue growths in thick matts, while most native grasses are clump forming giving run ways for the birds to use. Good habitat, birds can overcome predation, mediocre or bad habitat, they just can't handle it.

Pretty rare to see a Pheasant or Quail anymore.

They use to be so thick that you had to watch out while driving down the road. I had a Pheasant fly into my grill one morning on the way to work.

I hear them quite a bit but I have a neighbor that has a big set aside field too. Turkeys are making a comeback too.