In almost all the years we’ve lived in the Cap Sante neighborhood (three locations for 14 years) we’ve had a nice population of California quail. In the spring/summer of 2013 we seemed to have only one male, and in all of 2014 I saw, and perhaps more importantly heard, no quail. Sadly, I assumed that they had been extirpated from the neighborhood. I was therefore elated this spring when we had two different pairs in the yard at the same time! While they haven’t spent all that much time in the yard, in the past few days we had a pair bring in three chicks. Since the broods in the past often numbered about a dozen, the three chicks indicate that the family has already experienced hardships. But as small as these chicks are, and they are small, the little ones are already capable of at least 4-5 feet of vertical flight.
A couple of days ago I encountered a male a few blocks from our house that was tending seven even smaller chicks than the ones seen in our yard. I can only hope that all the remaining chicks from both broods survive.
On July 4th the three-chick family visited the yard and gave me the opportunity for photographs. So here are photos of the parents and one of the chicks…
The male, who serves as an able lookout…
The female…
The female and one of the flight-capable chicks…
