My favorites are the quail which is especially neat when they come in families. For anyone who has not had the pleasure of observing quail in their native environment, they generally travel in a covey or as pairs. We have several of them right now with chicks. The youngest family had 12 chicks but not sure what is there currently as those chicks, until they get feathers to fly are bottom of the food chain for snakes and all other predators including predator birds like the Harris hawks who also enjoy watching quail.
So here are a few photos of our quail families. I might put these onto a video someday except to truly appreciate quail, you have to hear their sounds. They communicate with a wide variety of chirps and cries. When daddy doesn't feel babies are moving fast enough, he has an impressive bark. They also give warnings which cause the chicks to hunker down and make like rocks. The content sound is kind of a du-wheep, and I can tell if it's parents coming by the sounds they make to the chicks.
10 comments:
These are terrific. I have had few opportunities to see quail and never with young. I imagine the sounds they make are wonderful. Great photos and looking forward to more!
I didn't know you lived in Tucson. How lucky you are! It is so beautiful in the country there. I know we have Quail around here but I don't recall seeing any. You can tell you've been watching them a lot. :)
Oh, those Quail Babies are sooo adorable....! I love seeing these pictures, Rain....We have 'California Quail' here, and in all the years I have lived here, I have only seen them once!!
I got some video of them at that time, I'm happy to say....
These little ones of yours are really young!! I look forward to seeing more, my dear....
We don't live in Tucson, Rubye, but we have a second home here. Tucson has been a favorite of ours for many years, since Farm Boss went to graduate school here. We bought this house in 1999 but got here so rarely because of the farm and distance from it that we decided to turn it into a vacation rental. That not only pays its expenses but gives me a lot of joy to know others can enjoy it as we always have. If you want to see more photos of it, it's called Casa Espiritu and I have a blog just for it as part of helping potential renters decide if they would like it. It's very desert oriented; so it's not the golf course crowd's choice.
Casa Espiritu
Plus a set of them on Picasa in their own album at: Casa Espiritu Picasa album.
As you can tell, we love this house and its little piece of desert.
Gambel's quail are so cute as they scurry along with top-knots bobbing!
Cop Car
Your pictures of the quail are one of your best wildlife shots.
Very cool. That sounds like a great place to get away to. Right now I am sitting in my back yard watchig the birds that make nests under my lanai and watching the dogs chase lizards. The jack rabbits mostly come out when it is cooler and the coyotes have only been heard lately not seen.
wonderful photos - I love to watch quail. I've spent many hours in many locations doing exactly that. What funny birds they are.
your time in Tucson sounds fantastic - and such a change for your farm life up north. looking forward to more Tucson posts and photos.
I love quail language... Chicago... Chicago... or are they saying, I love you, I love you. Either one works for me.
Wow, you already have quail babies there. "Our" quail are just pairing up. No little ones yet. They are the most beautiful little family of birds.
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