My Old Friend Bob
Photo by Patrick Hunter
My old friend, gentleman Bob
In pine stands and pastures, he rests and spends his days
Coined the Fire Bird,
he is small but mighty, resilience is in his name
Sunrise coveys take flight
in groups of seven and nine
But each new day, his world is shrinking
as progress passes him by
He does not stop his fighting
Farmers, hunters, and landowners work to rebuild his home
His legacy and his offspring will not be the fall of Rome
So to those who work and labor to help out my old friend
Each time you hear his two note whistle
Listen for the “thank you” at the end
Poem by Patrick Hunter
Photo by Patrick Hunter
The Bobwhite Quail. Given its name because of the unique “bob-white” whistle it sings across grassy hilltops and open pine forests was once a prolific game bird in the southeast, but now too few wild coveys remain. The victims of too much progress too fast. There is still hope! A unique relationship has been fostered in between the hunted and the hunters, farmers and landowners, sports and stewards. Bobwhite Quail populations need us to practice good “Southern Hospitality” and create inviting homes for these little critters. Habitat improvements, even on the smallest scale, can have a big impact on supporting healthy quail populations for the future!
Enter stage right South Carolina Bobwhite Initiative and Quail Forever. These two groups, operating in my home state of South Carolina, and partnering with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and other national agencies are providing tools and resources for habitat improvements across the state of South Carolina. These changes benefit the whole population of Bobwhite Quail. Their primary focus and effort is to welcome these iconic game birds back to the landscape. They have established four focal areas: Piedmont, Pee Dee, Central & South. At the epicenter of each focal area is a tract of public land being managed for Bobwhites. Great work is being done on these public lands across the state, but with 95% of the state being private land, landowners are the key to widespread habitat improvements.
This is a call to action for all of us who love watching a dog work, a covey rise, or even to hear those whistles in the spring. These birds are special and are worth saving! For more information check out the South Carolina Bobwhite Initiative or the National Bobwhite & Grassland Initiative (NBGI). It takes all of us to bring our friend Bob home, and what a homecoming it will be!
Per the SC Bobwhite Initiative (http://www.scbobwhites.org/focalregions.html
