Missing quail

[callotto]

I've notice that my neighbourhood quail pairs seem to be missing their broods this year. I wonder if this is related to the eastern gray squirrels and rats that have turned up in the last couple of years.
Has anyone else noticed this?

[gman313]

I've notice that my neighbourhood quail pairs seem to be missing their broods this year. I wonder if this is related to the eastern gray squirrels and rats that have turned up in the last couple of years.
Has anyone else noticed this?

I have definitely noticed an absence of mini ping pong balls running around the yard as well :)

Not sure on the rats but we the Eastern Greys are an issue forsure. We have the same magpie pair return in the yard each year and then of course out come the young from the nests and they live on the ground and on low branches until they are strong enough to fly further.

It took the Easter greys about 24 hours to take out the baby magpies on the ground. Usually early morning I would hear some squawking and looked out the window to see the blood bath. The adults did their usual squawking but didn't physically try and take on the squirrels.

My guess is the baby quails are just as easy a target

[OldBlindDog]

Those horrible bushy tailed tree rats really do a number on nut trees as well. The stupid things knock the nuts off the trees before they are even ripe.

[goalie]

pellet gun.

[Rwede]

Wet spring = flooded nests, hypothermic chicks.

Add in the stinking house cats, grey squirrels, and bad drivers, and broods have a tough time.

85% of quail die in their first year, so those little ping pong balls on stilts have to have large numbers to keep the population stable.

I've seen a few broods around, so there's hope.

[pbear]

We have lots of little babies here. They do a morning and evening journey through the yard. Also had a sweet duck family through here on the way to the neighbour's pond early this spring. Love living here!

[dirtguy]

Its looking like a bad year for grouse as well, poor tasty little buggers

[P65]

Definitely less this year.
Cats and crows pick off any that come around in short order.

[gman313]

Definitely less this year.
Cats and crows pick off any that come around in short order.

that can't be the reason there doesn't seem to be any more or less cats or crows than previous years. Yes they take some but have for a long time

i'm pretty sure its eastern greys and possibly rats

[Glacier]

Global warming... they've moved north... lots this year around my place in the north okanagan.

[Queen K]

I've spotted a quail brood the other day, but downtown where I am I've only seen quail twice. And the last time was a few days ago in my yard, a couple obviously scouting for a place to hang out.

[gman313]

I've spotted a quail brood the other day, but downtown where I am I've only seen quail twice. And the last time was a few days ago in my yard, a couple obviously scouting for a place to hang out.

I used to see them all over the northern portion of poplar point drive, almost nothing this year

[fall]

Irresponsible cat owners would be partly to blame.

[Tootsie]

Out here in Lake Country have seen quite a few baby quail but one thing we notice is the lack of pheasants. Very rarely hear that distinctive bone-rattling squack or see them anymore. But on the up side have noticed a lot of swallows buzzing around wildly. Oh and also LOTS of swallow tail butterflies.

[gman313]

Irresponsible cat owners would be partly to blame.

but no more or less than any other years. The discussion is why there seems to be way less than previous years. The irresponsible cat owners have been around for a long time