Quailing in the Dust-Mountain Quail
Quailing in the Dust
Frequent Photo
Mountain quail hide in brush and grasses and are rarely seen but I hear them all the time taunting me with their calls. This one took pity on me and let me capture it with my camera.
Happy First Day of Summer!
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What beautiful coloring.
What beautiful coloring.
I wonder what the Quail did for dust baths before the whiteman made dust for them?
I wonder what the Quail did for dust baths before the whiteman made dust for them?
I think there has always been dust for them.
I think there has always been dust for them.
I have a steady stream of quail on my back porch so I am blessed with lots of ten feet or less views of their Magnificent coloring. Often the male will perch on the arm of a chair and watch over his feeding companion. If I have no food out, they cross the thirty feet of deck on a daily pilgrimage to …..the greywater. The quail and the small birds and the turtle doves will co-exist whilst feeding, the doves being the most sensitive to my prescence. The turtle doves easily startle and fly squeekingly away in seeming terror, but actually just fly into pine branchs a short distance away, ready to come right back.
I have a steady stream of quail on my back porch so I am blessed with lots of ten feet or less views of their Magnificent coloring. Often the male will perch on the arm of a chair and watch over his feeding companion. If I have no food out, they cross the thirty feet of deck on a daily pilgrimage to …..the greywater. The quail and the small birds and the turtle doves will co-exist whilst feeding, the doves being the most sensitive to my prescence. The turtle doves easily startle and fly squeekingly away in seeming terror, but actually just fly into pine branchs a short distance away, ready to come right back.
Just gorgeous. The Mountain Quail were out in force when we were up in the hills last weekend. I love them. They’re so pretty.
Just gorgeous. The Mountain Quail were out in force when we were up in the hills last weekend. I love them. They’re so pretty.
I hate to admit that I don’t know this, but when the wild doves fly and make that whistling squeak, is that their wings making the noise or is it their startled voice.
or both?
“When taking off, their wings make a sharp whistling or whinnying.” Doves can also clap their wings like a rock pidgeon. Huh!
That site also tells us of the “perch coo” of the bachelor males… those soft coo-oos followed by two or three louder coos. “You can often hear paired males give the three-parted “nest call” while nest-building: a coo-OO-oo, highest in the middle. Females sometimes call ohr ohr while sitting on the nest.”
What’s strue fer down under is strue for here.
Thank you for doing that research!
I hate to admit that I don’t know this, but when the wild doves fly and make that whistling squeak, is that their wings making the noise or is it their startled voice.
or both?
“When taking off, their wings make a sharp whistling or whinnying.” Doves can also clap their wings like a rock pidgeon. Huh!
That site also tells us of the “perch coo” of the bachelor males… those soft coo-oos followed by two or three louder coos. “You can often hear paired males give the three-parted “nest call” while nest-building: a coo-OO-oo, highest in the middle. Females sometimes call ohr ohr while sitting on the nest.”
What’s strue fer down under is strue for here.
Thank you for doing that research!
A perfect portrait. The quail here are so shy. With reason – they are a delicacy for the locals 🙂
@ Ernie, here in Oz the noise made by a startled dove or pigeon is from the wings.
I always thought it was their voice but now I’m going to have to pay more attention.
I always thought it was their voice but now I’m going to have to pay more attention.