OT: I'm feeling sad this morning

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

Reply to
Sunny
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Sunny wrote: One kitty has wiped out what was probably 60-100 quail that

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

Reply to
monique

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

m> One kitty has wiped out what was probably 60-100 quail that

Reply to
Janner

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.

Reply to
Sandy

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:

Reply to
Allison

()*#%*(&$*@$^@& neighbor!!! Obviously, I am partial to cats. But, IMNSHO, if the cat isn't feral, it should NOT be allowed to roam free. I know that it is the nature of the beast to prowl about and hunt but there are enough "natural" predators out there that domestic cats don't need to be added to the mix! Feed the cat properly and give the cat enough stimuli and it does NOT need to be roaming about! I'm so sorry that your neighbor is such a selfish idiot and has allowed the cat to destroy and scare off your lovely quail. The Gambol Quail are one of the wild critters that I miss seeing here in Magnoliaville. When I am in Lizard Land, it's such a treat when I am lucky enough to spy them scrittering along in the scrubby desert. {{{Sunny}}} I'm not a very religious person but it looks like it's time for a few prayers to St. Frank to see if we can't get at least one of your quail back in the area. CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

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Reply to
Tia Mary

I feel for you, it's hard to understand their thinking.

We had a huge Maple tree in our front yard. It provided tons of shade plus it was always home to squirrels.

DH was always terrified it was going to come falling down on top of the house. Last summer we had a terrible storm and down it came, luckily it didn't hit the house.

But this was the first spring that I haven't been able to sit and watch the baby squirrels wrestle each other and run circles around the tree. I fed them corn and enjoyed watching them get so FAT from the corn I put out. I really did enjoy watching them.

I miss them.

Cindy

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teleflora

Reply to
Michelle

I'm not Sunny, but that really made me smile this morning. What a sweet little girl - and a very unusual 'act' for a talent show. Bless her. . In message , Michelle writes

Reply to
Patti

sorry you're sad. Live refuses to stay still, even though there are moments and times we'd freeze in place if we could.

Musicmaker

Reply to
Musicmaker

Reply to
Taria

Ok, that is one talented 7 year old! Congrats to her on an amazing performance!

Dannielle

Reply to
dbeitzell

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