Quailets
As we were driving out of the canyon on Sunday — on our way to our destination in Long Beach — we arrived at a flat area of open fields and low brush (same spot as in this post) where we have observed several quail couples regularly foraging for the last few months. It’s been my experience that in the late Summer, Fall, and Winter months, California Quail (Callipepla californica) travel in typically large groups (known as coveys), but beginning in early Spring, they start pairing off and the couples seem quite inseparable from that point on. As we slowed to allow one such pair to cross the road, I was delighted to see four little chicks scurrying between their legs! These are the first babies I’ve seen this season, and though I had to take these so-so pictures through the front windshield, the results are still undeniably cute! (Click on any image for a slightly embiggened view.)
Anyone have a recent story to share about baby bird sightings around your home?
Recently I visited my brother (Rick)and his wife (Carol) in Aiken, South Carolina. I found a nest with baby mockingbirds in it right outside the bedroom window of their old (new to them) farmhouse. Carol had just said “What are THOSE birds?”, pointing to some adult mockingbirds. I told her and described their great repertoire of sounds to her. (She is one that wakes in the night to every little sound and cannot get back to sleep.) I didn’t have the heart to tell her what she may be in for…… Would you have told her? (!) P.S. Love your word “embiggened.” 🙂
Hello, Lisa-bird! No, I probably wouldn’t have said anything either. If the birds were going to end up waking her in the middle of the night, there wouldn’t be much they could do about it, so why bring up a negative? Perhaps she’ll get lucky and they won’t disturb her at all… It’s very strange that you would bring up baby mockingbirds in this post. Perhaps you are picking up on my psychic vibrations… You see, part of the reason I wanted to focus on these adorable (and well-cared for) little ones is that on the same day I had a really heart-breaking experience. When we were returning home from Long Beach, we stopped in downtown Claremont to run an errand. As we pulled into a parking space, before we even got out of the truck, I noticed a pitiful site — a newly fledged mockingbird standing perfectly still on the sidewalk near the side of a building. It was obviously petrified, with no cover or shelter of any kind to duck into and an endless stream of people (many of whom were walking their dogs!) coming within a foot or so of the poor bird. Everyone seemed completely oblivious to its presence, which I suppose was for the best. Now, common sense wisdom dictates that you shouldn’t move a young bird you find on the ground because the parents probably know it’s there and will come back to feed it. We could see and hear the parents in the tall trees overhead, but leaving the juvenile so exposed with so much foot traffic was not tolerable. I decided to move it across the street (where the parents were currently perching) into a raised planter box so that it would be off the ground. The box was densely planted with shrubs and I hoped that would provide some nice cover. I wasn’t sure if the bird was going to struggle, but when I used a cloth shopping bag to scoop it up, there was no resistance whatsoever. The bird was already beginning to grow its flight feathers and did not outwardly seem to be injured… but certainly very stunned, and likely quite scared. As I placed the long-legged, immobile little bundle under some foliage, I sighed deeply and made a fervent wish that somehow this would have a happy ending. Walking away from situations like that is always so painful for me. I tell myself I’ve done all that I can… but, I want to do something more. I know it’s just part of the whole cycle of things that some babies don’t make it. Oh, but I’m far too tender-hearted for my own good. 🙁 Re: embiggened… I gather this word was actually coined a long, long time ago. However, along with much of the current populace, I was re-introduced to this word via an episode of “The Simpsons” several years ago. I think it’s fun to say and I love using it in this context. xo