On Mar 14, 2012, grebetrees from Austin, TX (Zone 8b) wrote:
On two separate occasions, letting the back lawn get high and brushy attracted calling males. (late winter)
On Aug 23, 2011, Eleven from Royal Oak, MI (Zone 6a) wrote:
I was pleasantly surprised to identify one of these wandering around our yard last weekend. The Michigan DNR site notes that we are at the northern edge of its range. It circled the yard a couple times searching for food before flying up to rest on the garage roof. Our neighbors reported seeing it the following morning. The sighting was most surprising because we live in a suburban city less than a mile from two major highways.
On Jul 5, 2010, bonehead from Cedarhome, WA (Zone 8b) wrote:
One of these was wandering around my yard this weekend, never seen one before. Took us some time to figure out what it was, and it is clearly out of its normal range. Per our local audobon web site, though, they do show up now and again. Cool bird.
On Jul 9, 2009, BajaBlue from Rancho Santa Rita, TX (Zone 8a) wrote:
At the tip of Texas, Rio Grande
valley, which is a subtropical
area and borders Northern Mexico,
Bob whites populate the citrus
groves and scrub chaparral
It is very comforting to hear their
unique whistle, espeisally in the
early mornings when one wakes
Thw bieds are considered a fame
and eating bird also, but as the Valley
becomes moe urban and less rural,
the birds have made themselves
at home in the suburban atmosphere.
This will also help preserve the species
because it allows them to breed in peace,
and no hunting is permitted in
On Apr 23, 2009, joegee from Bucyrus, OH (Zone 6a) wrote:
I miss this bird. When I was growing up, every summer evening their distinctive calls would echo across the wide Ohio fields. They're called "Bob White" because the words, pronounced as a question, sound similar to the call. The call begins with a mid-range whistle followed by a brief pause, rising into a chirp that seems to begin with a "wh" sound.
Bob Whites used to thrive in fencerows, but modern farming techniques (which eliminated fence rows) have destroyed much of the prime habitat for this bird. It is now all but extinct in many parts of my state. What used to be a sound as familiar to a country kid as the call of a cicada is now a "what's that?" kind of rarity.