Little Visitors

[caryc]

It's that time of year again. Quail are coming to drink water and bringing their little ones with them. In the first pic they had 8 little quails. They were so small that they could have sat in a teaspoon. A little later, my resident road runner stopped by for a drink. Sorry for the pic quality but I had to shoot through a screen.

 

[Johnnu2]

VERY NEAT

J.

 

[JAYDAWG]

Always made my kids cry, as everytime they came back there were less chicks

JAYDAWG

 

[gnappi]

Always made my kids cry, as everytime they came back there were less chicks

JAYDAWG

Yeah, that's always depressing. My GF has the same situation with Egyptian Geese and Mexican ducks in her yard.

 

[MaxMan]

Always made my kids cry, as everytime they came back there were less chicks

JAYDAWG

Same with the ducks around here. Usually one or two eventually make it.

 

[MaxMan]

Here's our visitor

 

[41Dude]

We are next to a goose nesting area. Fun to watch. But more than once during the season we see two adults with 7 babies then in a couple of days 6 babies........
Hawks love our pasture.
Kinda sad.

 

[JAYDAWG]

The circle of life.
Hawks get to eat and 1 or 2 chicks live long enough to mate!

 

[BearBiologist]

I was Chapter Chairman for the San Gabriel Valley Quail Unlimited Chapter, and my wife was the Chapter Secretary. We would do brood counts every July to determine population trends for DFG. Well, one year I couldn't participate because of grad school responsibilities (a field lab class or something). So, she was dropped off at a waterhole in full camo, a camera, binoculars, and a 38 snubbie. She counted "puffballs" all morning an, just as they were coming to pick her up, she heard a gawdawful roaring! She pulled her 38 and, when the pulled up, jumped into the back of the pick-up before it came to a stop! When thy got down the hill to her car, she asked Tim Bovard what the heck it was! He laughed and told her that the waterhole she staked out was only a little over a mile as the crow flies from the Wildlife Waystation and it was the big cats roaring for their breakfast!

 

[MaxMan]

Cool story!

 

[Mobuck]

"The circle of life.
Hawks get to eat and 1 or 2 chicks live long enough to mate!"
Not so much when otters are the predator. They keep at it until ZERO chicks live long enough to even fly. There's a 40 acre 'duck swamp' within sight of my house. Most of the goose nests were destroyed by high water following a 5" rain but apparently some nests survived. I noticed a group of 5-6 adults and 9-10 goslings swimming about. Couple days later there were only 7 goslings. Another 2-3 days later only 4. And then there were NONE.
I heard the bogus spiel from a bunny cop years ago after I'd made some serious comments about disposing of snapping turtles to the effect that "Mother Nature makes baby ducks and Mother Nature makes snapping turtles". My response: "that's a fine statement as long as you're NOT a baby duck". Bunny cop snorted and walked away.
Yessir, Mother Nature is a tough old mother.

 

[BearBiologist]

"The circle of life.
Hawks get to eat and 1 or 2 chicks live long enough to mate!"
Not so much when otters are the predator. They keep at it until ZERO chicks live long enough to even fly. There's a 40 acre 'duck swamp' within sight of my house. Most of the goose nests were destroyed by high water following a 5" rain but apparently some nests survived. I noticed a group of 5-6 adults and 9-10 goslings swimming about. Couple days later there were only 7 goslings. Another 2-3 days later only 4. And then there were NONE.
I heard the bogus spiel from a bunny cop years ago after I'd made some serious comments about disposing of snapping turtles to the effect that "Mother Nature makes baby ducks and Mother Nature makes snapping turtles". My response: "that's a fine statement as long as you're NOT a baby duck". Bunny cop snorted and walked away.
Yessir, Mother Nature is a tough old mother.

And, birds eat baby turtles, as do otters. For a population to stay stable at the carrying capacity, a pair of adults need to produce only TWO young in their lifetime that survive into the next generation. Lotka-Volterra examined the trading records of the Hudson Bay Company and determined that PREY populations control predator populations, not vice-versa.

In the Hudson Bay figures of hares and lynx pelts, it was later determined that the cycle (of about 5 years from peak to peak) depended upon nutrients contained within the rabbit droppings that took 5 years to decompose and recycle through vegetation.

 

[41Dude]

Just now arrived in our backyard. They are too big for the hawk to mess with now.

 

[MaxMan]

Neat stuff. We get Ibis, egrets,muskovi ducks, sometimes some wood ducks and Indian runners, the occasional Blue Heron and sometimes a osprey comes in for lunch. The neighbor has a gator in their pond. Only 2 feet or so. FWC won't come out unless it's four feet.+.

 

[MaxMan]

And, birds eat baby turtles, as do otters. For a population to stay stable at the carrying capacity, a pair of adults need to produce only TWO young in their lifetime that survive into the next generation. Lotka-Volterra examined the trading records of the Hudson Bay Company and determined that PREY populations control predator populations, not vice-versa.

View attachment 49410

In the Hudson Bay figures of hares and lynx pelts, it was later determined that the cycle (of about 5 years from peak to peak) depended upon nutrients contained within the rabbit droppings that took 5 years to decompose and recycle through vegetation.

The comment about rabbit droppings I think I can use it at the next party as a conversation starter. Seriously explain that please, it looks like rabbit droppings break down in 5 years. We've had rabbits, chickens if all sorts, and even a feral hog ( RIP Truffles). Droppings of all kinds but seemed to break down rather quickly. Thanks.

 

[BearBiologist]

The comment about rabbit droppings I think I can use it at the next party as a conversation starter. Seriously explain that please, it looks like rabbit droppings break down in 5 years. We've had rabbits, chickens if all sorts, and even a feral hog ( RIP Truffles). Droppings of all kinds but seemed to break down rather quickly. Thanks.

In the Arctic, where Hudson Bay bought furs??? We're talking physically breaking down, then breaking down at the microscopic level, then decomposed by bacteria, followed by uptake by the plants and then used by the plants to make vegetation. All in areas that have a VERY short growing season (usually about 111 days!)

 

[MaxMan]

In the Arctic, where Hudson Bay bought furs??? We're talking physically breaking down, then breaking down at the microscopic level, then decomposed by bacteria, followed by uptake by the plants and then used by the plants to make vegetation. All in areas that have a VERY short growing season (usually about 111 days!)

Ok SoFls entirely different scenario. Thanks.

 

[Mobuck]

BearBio,
Going back to Hudson Bay Co records is one heckuva stretch.

 

[41Dude]

I need to go look for the movie with Brian Dennahy (spelling?) He flew a scientist in his bush plane to study wolves. Flew away leaving scientist. Wolves lived on mice.
Come on you movie trivia folks
Got it.
NEVER CRY WOLF from 1983

 

[MaxMan]

I think its cool , you going back into old records like that. Probably a lot of other good info there too. Down her real estate title was done under abstracts not title insurance many years ago. I had the opportunity to look at some of the chain of title. His Majesty King Phillip of Spain cedes the area known a Florida to the United state of America.... Or something like that. 1845 onward.

 

[peachhead]

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