I almost never post backyard birds but these California Quail chicks are just too cute to deny them their moment of glory.
1/500, f/9, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM +1.4 tc., handheld, not baited, set up or called in
Last evening I spotted some movement in my garden from my kitchen window and at the same time realized that I was hearing the frantic alarm call of California Quail so I rushed outside to investigate (with camera in hand, of course). I found at least a dozen very young quail chicks cowering in the deep cover at the back of my garden with one alarmed parent nearby, though that wasn’t the bird making all the noise. Most of the time I could only get glimpses of the chicks in the deep shade of my rhubarb and peony plants but after a while some of them ventured out several inches and I was able to get a few photos.
These chicks were only about the size of a golf ball but they develop very quickly. They’re capable of flight at the ripe old age of two weeks and one of the things that enables them to do that is rapid feather growth and development. Seven juvenile primaries erupt even before hatching and those feathers can be easily seen, especially on the chick on the right.
1/640, f/7.1, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM +1.4 tc., handheld, not baited, set up or called in
Most of the time I could only see dark, shadowy movements at the base of the plants but this youngster was a little braver than its siblings and came out far enough to get some light in its eye.
The other parent quail was still calling frantically from the top of my very large elm tree and when we followed the sound we found a Cooper’s Hawk high in the branches with the calling parent nearby. When the hawk flew the parent quail immediately gave chase. Cooper’s Hawks are notorious predators of California Quail and are often attracted to quail traps.
I suspect these birds nested under my storage shed as they’ve often done in the past but yesterday was the first time I noticed the chicks. They’re always a welcome addition to my yard.
Ron
Note: Another photo/camping trip beckons me so beginning today I’ll be largely out of touch for much of the week. I’ll try to post from the road but that’s always an iffy situation given the remoteness of my typical destinations. We’ll see how it goes…
Oh my God, they are so sweet. Great capture and I hope they will be safe.
Gorgeous photos. Take credit for having a yard they can nest in!
How very, very beautiful. Mind you, you have me thinking about the NEED to develop flight so early. Not an easy life. A dangerous life. Precosity comes with a price.
Moment of Glory justly deserved! Nice capture Ron!
Boy! Those are the cutest golf balls I’ve ever seen! They remind me of the boxes of day old chicks our harried Postmaster used to receive for us each spring. We’d race to the station, race home and pop those cute, fuzzy little crtters under the warm lights of the brooder. When they got a little older, my sisters and I would each choose a chick, give it a name, and pamper it with treats, like grasshoppers and worms. Stupid as people think they are, they learned to respond to their names and come when we called….
I always wondered what “precocial” meant: PRECIOUS! :o)
Little heart stealers… I want some under my storage shed! I’m so glad they made it through the Cooper’s hawk threat. Thanks for the lovely morning post.
They are incredibly cute. I used to have button quail. Tiny little things with an amazing ability to leap.
Backyard Birds is a good name. Never heard that before. We used to live south of Seattle WA & people would drive 100s of miles to eastern WA to go hunt doves & quail. We now live in Sun City West, Az (nw of Phoenix). Heck doves & quail are pests here. Quail nesting under hose reel, dove sitting & pooping on the patio wall. They are almost like sparrows. And we have urban coyotes to keep down the bunny rabbit population.
Funny how things change.
Thanks for all the great photos
David
This was my “aww!” moment for today! You’re right – too cute to pass up.
Awww, thanks, Kathleen.
Those chicks are absolutely precious. Glad you posted them. And I hope you have a great trip. Don’t worry about posting – take a vacation!
“Don’t worry about posting – take a vacation!”
Ha, fat chance of that, Susan! I’m such a an extreme creature of habit that if I can’t post on this trip it’ll probably drive me nuts(er).
Such sweet little chicks… Thanks for taking their picture and sharing those.Hopefully they will grow up dodging the hawk’s eye…
“Hopefully they will grow up dodging the hawk’s eye…”
I have some of the same thoughts, Rima – though I also root for the hawk. Maybe that’s part of the reason they have so many chicks (up to 21 eggs in a clutch) – so that some can survive and others can nourish predators.
These are great Ron! Many thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Dick.
Thanks for making an exception to your backyard bird rule. These are wonderful!
Thanks, Devin. It isn’t really a hard and fast rule, it’s just that I don’t photograph setups or at feeders and since I do have feeders in my yard I generally avoid shooting there (unless I’m practicing with new gear or techniques). But these quail are not attracted by my feeders.
Wonderful shots Ron! Adorable!
Charlotte
Thank you, Charlotte.