Bill Leslie: Lonely call of Bobwhite
A lonely country road. No traffic, to speak of, all day. Just the shadows of trees. And some early autumn leaves.
That was the first image that spoke to me on a recent trip to Virginia. Flat farm country south of Petersburg.
The second image was a vast field of cotton under a cotton ball sky. Puffy clouds bouncing around in a deep blue sky.
I loved the loneliness of the place. The sounds of nature took center stage. My favorite sound came from a distant bobwhite quail.
I hadn’t heard that call in years. Yes, the bird really does say “Bob White” very clearly. My parents were birders in Morganton, N.C. and were always thrilled to hear this haunting bird call.
The bobwhite quail is a prized hunting bird that has suffered a serious and mysterious decline for more than 50 years in many parts of the country, including North Carolina.
Experts point to loss of habitat, pesticides and diseases as possible reasons for the dramatic decline. No one really seems to know for sure.
The Audubon Society in 2014 named the bobwhite quail as the bird suffering the greatest decline in North America.
It sure was nice to hear that bird call on my trip. Sadly, I never heard an answer from another bobwhite quail in the area. I hope we get some solid answers soon.
