We have done a lot of environmental projects at Harrison Bay over the years but our Bobwhite Quail Restoration project has turned out to be one of the most fun, and it culminated today in the release of the chicks from their brooding chamber. The project started back in April and you can review its beginning here Southern Bobwhite Quail Restoration project. We have had the chicks for 36 days and they have been in the brooding chamber for the past 24 days. Today they were released to fly free.
The chicks started out about the size of a golf ball, if that, and have grown considerably in size over these last 36 days. They have gained about four to five times their size and have grown in their flight feathers so it was time to let them loose into their new environment. Our project started with 125 Bobwhite quail chicks and as of today 86 have survived and are thriving. According to Bill the survival rate of most quail clutches is between 12-15% so our 68.8% survival rate is incredible.
Here is a video (turn on your volume) we put together of the
Bobwhite Quail Restoration Project at The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay.
(Videos are courtesy of Willie Hamby. Photos by Paul Carter)
The release party was one of the coolest things I have experienced in quite some time. To see the quail chicks take flight and/or strut around in the native grass areas was entertaining, inspiring, and gave us all a sense of satisfaction that the project had turned out so successful.
The project is far from over and we have more in store but it makes me think back to a classic episode of The Andy Griffith Show "Opie the Birdman" (Season 4, Episode 1) and a saying comes to mind.
The box seems sort of empty now...
but don't the fields sound nice and full.
Again we can't thank Bill Greene enough for his dedication and passion for our environmental programs. The Bobwhite quail restoration project has been fun to implement. We are proud to have a golf course with the natural habitat specially suited for these birds and we can't wait to watch them grow up and begin raising their own families on the course. This group of birds should lay their first clutch of eggs toward the middle of July and will hopefully over the years cover the course.
If you are interested in introducing Bobwhite quail onto your golf course and if we can help in any way please contact us and we will be happy to put you in touch with the quail breeder, let you borrow the brooding chamber, or answer any questions we can.
Welcome to The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay
Mr. and Mrs. Bobwhite Quail.
We hope you enjoy your new home for many years to come.
After a winter that seemed that it would never end, the sun is finally out and shining, and the course is coming back into shape, albeit about a month later than we are used to. The extended cold temperatures and excessive rainfall that we experienced in the months of March and April delayed the green up of the bermudagrass and have caused the delay in some of our maintenance practices that we would normally have performed by now.
The delay in the normal springtime temperatures has caused delays in the green up of a few areas on the course and we have been asked about these, why they occurred, what we could do about them, and how long will they be this way. Dr. Jim Brosnan, Associate Professor University of Tennessee, recently wrote an article about the delayed greenup that we are experiencing in the transition zone and I thought I would pass along his excellent explanation.
To be honest a few weeks ago, as I examined the golf course, I was fearful we would have to sod several areas on the course. Since the weather has taken a turn for the better in the past week, with full days of warm sun and little to no rain, the turfgrass has also taken a turn, and one for the better. We are seeing substantial growth and recovery in these areas and will be doing a few cultural practices over the next few weeks to help the turf along. The first practice, which started this morning will be to vertical mow the weak areas to remove any crusting of thatch and algae and expose the underlying turfgrass to the warmth and benefit of the sun.
The next practice will be to use our Aerway shattertine slicer to solid tine aerify the weak areas to allow a void for any water that falls or is applied to be removed from the surface as to not drown the new plants as they grow or allow any algae to reform and to allow oxygen into the soil to promote root growth and recovery. We will follow the solid tine venting with mowing of the fairways to smooth out the surface. Following this we will apply some extra fertility to these areas to give them a little boost.
Your agronomy staff has worked very hard over the years to provide the high quality conditions that you have come to expect. We understand questions arise when things look out of place and we will do everything we can to answer those questions and concerns. The golf course is quickly coming back to form, now that Spring has finally decided to show up, and we are confident these weak areas will be filled in shortly. As always if you have any questions, concerns, or comments about the course or any practices we perform on the course please don't hesitate to let us know. We will do our best to answer them.
