Tag Archives: California Quail

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John Batchelder managed to photograph one of the fast, little CA Quail chicks he saw recently.

Quail families are being seen now. Several years ago George Anderson captured these newly hatched chicks.

And Clay Yale had two perch on saucer with water.

Here's a cute photo taken by Jon Loveless of the chicks following their mother.

The chicks are very vulnerable now, as they cannot yet fly. The number one predator of these chicks is the domestic house cat.

Thanks to John, George, Clay and Jon for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

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They were moving fast, so the photo is a little blurred. But Jon Loveless saw these cute, little chicks hurrying after mom.

CA Quail chicks following Mom by Jon LovelessDad was no doubt on guard duty close by. Here's a photo of a beautiful male CA Quail, which was taken by Kathy Willems. Male California Quail by Kathy Willems

Thanks to Jon and Kathy for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

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Mike Mee noticed this male California Quail standing guard on Buddha statue. The rest of the covey was feeding on the ground below.

A CA Quail stands guard on top of a Buddha statue by Mike Mee

Quail take dirt baths, which is pretty amazing to see. This next photos were taken by Robert Scarola.

California Quail taking a dirt bath by Robert Scarola (Medium)

Here the female joins the male. Robert thinks the male is saying, "Look! This is a great place for a dirt bath."

Good Spot for a bath she tells him - CA Quail taking a dirt bath by Robert Scarola (Medium)

Thanks to Mike and Robert for allowing me to share their photos with  you here.

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It's not easy photographing CA Quail chicks, as they always seem to be in motion. Two chicks recently came to a water dish to take a few sips, and Clay Yale had his camera at the ready.

Two California Quail chicks by Clay Yale

Here is a photo of the beautiful male, taken by Tom Eckles. The male is always on guard duty while the female tends to her covey of little ones.

Male Quail by Tom Eckles

My all-time favorite photo of CA Quail was taken by Siegfried Matull

14 Baby Quail by Siegfried Matull

14 chicks are on the bench, with Dad acting as a sentry. It looks like Mom is on the left.

Thanks to Clay, Tom, and Siegfried for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Tom's photography, here is his website: www.tomeckles.com

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I'll let Siegfried Matull tell this story:

“Whenever the sun shines, we have Quail taking sand baths in our yard. We have been watching this action for many hours!

Quail taking a sand bath by Siegfried Matull

“In my picture you can see two Quail on the left with their eyes open, but the Quail on the right has stuck its head down into the sand we are sure with its eyes closed. These birds throw the sand with their wings high into the air, fully covering themselves with sand, making them invisible.”

Studies have shown that dusting helps Quail maintain the optimum level of oil on their feathers.

Thanks to Siegfried for allowing me to share his photo with you here. And Happy Thanksgiving to those in the United States! This beautiful, warm day on the Mendonoma Coast is reason enough to be thankful. And we are thankful for the rains to come - there is a series of storms headed our way, with rain to begin sometime tomorrow. Hooray!