Hi birdo's where are the ethics in all this searching for the BBB Quail. It
is the middle of the breeding season and here we have a number of people
trampling around in a paddock for a number of days flushing quail. I wonder
how many eggs/nests we trampled.Some years ago I alerted Sydney birders to a
paddock where Red Backed, Red Chested, King,Painted, Brown and Stubble Quail
were. I felt quiet ashamed on returning to the paddock some weeks later to
see it flattened by all the feet that had trampled the area. I have to admit
that I was also guilty of some of the trampling taking birders back there on
a number of occasions. After seeing the destruction we caused I realized
what a selfish unthinking act we had committed,I don't know how many nest we
would have damaged but certainly some.I decided from that day on I would
never be the cause of such destruction again. There is a better way as from
my experience King,Painted,Brown and Stubble quail respond to play back
readily. I have no experience with the BBBQ or the other species but would
be confident they also respond.The great advantage of play back is by
drawing the quail into view gives you a much better chance of seeing them
than trampling their habitat trying to flushing them.However please be
responsible when using playback, use it in short burst and turn it off when
the bird appears, this will cause the minimum harm as over use as been shown
to upset nesting birds.
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