Observations of late winter upland birds

oldandnew

Active member
Well in the western part of the state, we got a little moisture, at the expense of brutal cold and higher than average snow level. Early spring, and more importantly a warm spring seem iffy. I take my kids to school about 12 miles each way, across what used to be pretty average quail country, unfortunately I see a lot of ditch clearing, including one farmer who over rowed the easement to a state highway, with dozed out grass and plugging the ditch with mud from the field, which is of course plowed, without any semblance of cover or soil stabilization. no birds there, heck probably no mice! I go past 'fallow " ground for the last 4 years, now bustling again to put in subdivisions, ( where do all these people come from?, live 60 miles from town and buy gas to drive to and back!, have a 5-10 @ lot of pristine fescue, but they are NEVER are out, or at home) Other observations, in two days I came on twelve dead skunks, in a round trip, about one per two miles, probably that many raccoons, about 6 possums, noticed 8 hawks nests occupied. With all the predators, virtually no cover, and what little there is fragmented, a way station on all the predators travel lanes. I don't think that perfect weather will save us. The odds are against us. It takes a long time to "undo" what we have wrought. Meanwhile the "improvement never stops".
 
I know it ain't going to make you feel better.
Native grass seems to go on forever.:thumbsup:
 
OandN I've seen the same thing here and have asked myself the same questions. Why these people want to move to the"country" and have there nice big homes is beyond me. Same thing here, nobody ever outside, no kids, no dogs, no nothing. Yet these are some of the same people that want to do away with our guns and treat hunters like criminals but turn a blind eye to what they have done to habitat.

I've seen a bunch of land around me that used to once be nice pasture ground with draws that had nice cover in them tilled under and trees pushed down to make way for corn.

It's all coming soon to a place near you. I never in my lifetime thought I would see what has happened here but it's happening right before my eyes.
 
, unfortunately I see a lot of ditch clearing, including one farmer who over rowed the easement to a state highway, with dozed out grass and plugging the ditch with mud from the field, which is of course plowed, without any semblance of cover or soil stabilization. no birds there, heck probably no mice!

Along those lines, the next time I'm visiting family in Wisconsin I have to stop for a photo of what one guy did up there.

What he did looks so ridiculous I can't believe the county hasn't said anything to about it:confused:. It's been 2 years of this now. Anyway, he literally took the plow right up the the ditch along the road, swerving in-between the power lines (next to the road). I have to laugh every time I pass by there. I can't get over how silly some have gotten with managing land:eek:.

Wayne, that photo is something else. Talk about beautiful.
 
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