One lovely May afternoon Mr. Bob White saw the door of his enclosure swinging back and forth in the breeze. His keeper had forgotten to latch the gate, and Mr. White and several of his friends were powerless to resist the call of the wild. He looked to the left, he looked to the right, hopped here one moment, and flapped there the next. All of a sudden he noticed that his companions were nowhere to be seen. Instead, he found himself face to face with a camera in an unfamiliar garden.
Not that he knew what a camera was, but he wasn’t scared, because the woman behind it muttered gentle words, and admired his good looks. Mr. White found places to hide and kernels of corn under the bird feeder to munch on, and since his tummy was full, and there were no dogs on the premises, he decided to linger in this location for a few days.
Meanwhile, the woman behind the camera had learned that the bird’s owner was not interested in having him or his fellow escapees back, much to her consternation. A potential foster family expressed interest, having previously considered adopting a few of these good-looking quails. Equipped with a butterfly net and blankets, the woman and her husband attempted to corner and capture Mr. White, but despite their slow moves and soothing remarks, he was not willing to be caught, as he had started to enjoy his freedom.
Once he had resolved to live free, Bob White moved on, and the sweet onomatopoeic song responsible for his name, no longer enlivened the soundscape. May it still be issuing from his handsome throat and bring joy to other listeners, as it did when it resounded through our neighborhood.
To see additional photos, to listen to the song of the Northern Bobwhite, and to learn about its usual distribution (wild birds are rare in most of Colorado, but are popular for breeding purposes), please click on the following link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology:
Hello Tanja, what a tender and thought-provoking story of “Mr. White.” The photographer and her husband sound familiar 🙂 🙂 I hope this bird is enjoying his freedom and that he stays safe.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Takami. Somehow they do sound familiar, and I happen to know that they keep their fingers crossed for Mr. Bob. 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you for sharing a heart-warming story of freedom. Let’s hope Bob finds himself a Roberta and they get it together to bring a few more Bobettes (or should that be Robettes?) into the world 😉.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for taking an interest, Mr. Platypus. Somehow I suspect that if Bob found a Roberta, those two could never settle on names for their offspring-just a hunch. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautiful bird!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Liz. He is quite the charmer. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂 Excellent, Tanja! Ah, Bob White. What a character! xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Nick. It was our pleasure to meet him!
LikeLiked by 1 person
If you photographed a more-formal pose would the subject be Mr. Robert White?
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a good question, Steve, but somehow I think Bob is far too laid-back to stand on ceremony. He will always be Bob, regardless of attire or circumstance.
LikeLike
I might also have had a comment about the bird’s German name, except for once you didn’t include a German version of the text.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was lazy, Steve. Virginiwachtel simply does not have the same ring as Mr. Bob White.
LikeLike
Ah, I see that a bobwhite is a kind of quail.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This little fact IS mentioned in the 3rd paragraph, Steve. 😊
LikeLike
Amen to that! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am glad you feel the same way. Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The colors and patterns on this species remind me of some Native American pottery.
Hi Tanja. Bye till next time!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s an association I would not have made, Neil, but it goes to show how individual and varied our perceptions are.
Thank you for sharing your insight.
Take care,
Tanja
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mr White’s magic freedom!
hurray freedom! 🙂
Hi Tanja
LikeLiked by 1 person
Let’s hope that his freedom will be magic for dear Mr. Bob! Thank you for the good wishes.
Best,
Tanja
LikeLike
Ach wie schön, wenn der Bob im Netz (doppelte Bedeutung hier) unterwegs gewesen wäre, hätte er gewusst no foster-mama is better than Tanja. Na ja, er kann es sich vielleicht ja noch mal überlegen….
LikeLiked by 1 person
Danke für das lustige Wortspiel, liebe Ira. Ich glaube der liebe Bob wird sich das nicht noch überlegen, der ist inzwischen über alle Berge!
Erheiterte Grüße,
Tanja
LikeLike
Liebe Tanja,
das ist wirklich ein hübscher Vogel, den Du da mit Komplimenten und mit der Kamera einfühlsam eingefangen hast.
Wer einmal dem Ruf der Wildnis gefolgt ist, wird wohl stets lieber “vogelfrei” weiterleben wollen.
Herzlich grüßt Dich 💕
Ulrike
LikeLiked by 1 person
Vielen Dank, liebe Ulrike, das hast Du sehr schön gesagt. Hoffen wir, daß das vogelfreie Leben dem liebenswerten Bob gut bekommt.
Ganz liebe Grüße zurück an Dich,
Tanja
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hoffen wir mal, dass er sein Glück in der Freiheit finden wird!
Und da die Besitzer nicht dran interessiert waren, ihn zurückzubekommen, frage ich mich schon, ob das Gatter wirklich versehentlich aufgeblieben ist!
Viele Grüsse
Christa
LikeLiked by 1 person
Das ist natürlich nicht auzuschließen. Ich bin immer wieder erstaunt, wie leicht es sich manche Menschen machen, wenn sie sich mal entschieden haben, daß ihre Tiere ihnen zu viel Arbeit machen. Traurig!
Hoffen wir das Beste für Bob.
Liebe Grüße zurück,
Tanja
LikeLiked by 1 person
Eine sehr nette, einfühlsame Geschichte. Ich musste mir dann gleich auch den Gesang anhören. Jetzt kann ich es mir vorstellen, wie es in deinem Garten zuging…
Liebe Grüße, Andrea
LikeLiked by 1 person
Herzlichen Dank, liebe Andrea. Das ist schon ein ganz besonderer Gesang, den diese Wachtelart von sich gibt, und in Zukunft würde ich ihn wahrscheinlich nie wieder verkennen.
Sei lieb gegrüßt,
Tanja
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wish Bob has a good life in his new environs and meets himself a pretty young lady.
LikeLiked by 1 person
In the name of Bob, I thank you for the good wishes. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a handsome bird. I don’t think I’ve ever seen or heard it. When I looked at the Cornell map, it seems they’re far more common to the west and north of me, and almost entirely absent in east Texas. This is a great story; I hope he has a long and happy life.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. Your wish is mine also!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That was beautifully told, Tanja! You gave a simple story the charm of a fairytale. It’s no wonder that we’re all wishing the best for Bob.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Andy. I have often wondered what has become of Mr. Bob, but wherever he is, I hope he is striding through green meadows with a bottomless supply of corn, or other tasty morsels.
LikeLike
Ich bin ganz begeistert von deinem Blog. Ich folge dir, aber ich kriege keine Meldungen in meiner Mailbox. Was kann das nur sein?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Das freut mich sehr, lieber Peter. Manchmal ist WordPress etwas frustrierend, was die Technik anbelangt. Ich habe keine Ahnung, warum das nicht klappt, aber vielleicht kannst Du aufhören, mir zu folgen, und dann den Knopf nochmals drücken.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gute Idee, Tanja!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I met a strong healthy. Mid-Western USA woman who would only use qyail eggs for her nourishing. Nice post.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, I am glad I enjoyed it. As far as I know, quail eggs come from a different species of quail. I don’t know if some people eat bobwhite eggs, but it would be interesting to find out.
LikeLike
Interesting!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you very much!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome 😇
LikeLiked by 1 person
🌻
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a beautiful bird!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am glad he charmed you, too, Diane. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Brilliant story. Hope he’s still singing where-ever he is.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Mary. We share the same wish.
Best,
Tanja
LikeLike
A handsome bird, your last photo showed their beautiful feather patterns nicely! ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Donna. I also thought him extremely handsome. Whenever I get a close look at a bird’s feathers, I am always amazed at how beautifully they are wrought.
Have a good week,
Tanja
LikeLiked by 1 person
Huzzah! Here’s hoping Mr. Bob and family are enjoying their wild freedom! May their sweet songs inspire us to cherish the uncaged things of the world.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much for your comment. I sincerely second your wish. We have put up far too many barriers and cages to separate ourselves from one another and from other creatures.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Don’t we all thrive when we are free – bird, man or any other creature. A beautiful story, Tanja.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very well said, Otto. Thank you very much! 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Der ist ja allerliebst!! Zauberhaft 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Das fand ich auch, liebe Almuth. Ich hoffe, er hat auch das Herz einer Wachteldame für sich gewinnen können!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ja, hoffentlich 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
He is strikingly beautiful. Here’s hoping he is thriving, wherever he is.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My thoughts and wishes exactly, Melissa. Thank you! ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person