This male Bobwhite Quail appeared just after a rain storm at Ensley Bottoms. I spotted him over a hundred yards away, as he slowly strolled, sang, and fed. At the end of an hour's wait, the bird was less than 12 feet away. It is amazing what you learn if you are willing to wait and let birds reveal their secrets to you.

Ensley Bottoms is a perfect example of habitat-habitat-habitat. The quail are doing quite well and yet the bottoms are full of Coyotes and Bobcat. In good habitat these predaters do not have a significant effect on these birds but we change the habitat and the balance is upset. We have limited success righting our mistakes.

Up at Reelfoot in TN, they slaughter Coyotes by the dozens chasing them down with four wheelers, line their bodies along the levees and lay the loss of game to them, when good habitat loss is the culprit.