Lately we've been having a great time watching the family of quail in our backyard. There are about 16 chicks this year and we've noticed that this set of parents has a great system for keeping them all safe. They all come out together to feed in the yard, usually in the mornings and early afternoons. The mother will lead the way for the chicks and the father will pick a vantage point on higher ground to stand guard. (He seems to like sitting on the lawnmower best) If any other birds come too close, he will charge at them until they leave. If the family is in danger from anything else, they quickly find the nearest cover and will somehow silence all the babies at once. Amazing. I've even seen the father sit on one of the chicks to hide it from me ... the scary, lurking photographer.
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It must've been hard to get photos that close to them.
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-Jacob
I love watching those little guys! Must be relatives to the ones that live in our yard!
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