Quail in the orchard...

The resident family of quail, two adult pair, has been stalking the bird feeders lately, and roaming from pasture to orchard, even hanging out on the patio in the evening, just before the sun sets. We've been waiting for the babies to arrive, to know the nests are vacant, before we take the John Deere out and mow down the blackberries in the pastures.

This morning as I washed dishes, I glanced out the windows to the orchard, and there they were, both families. One had two half-grown chicks, the other had five newly fledged chicks. The males were on guard as the rest roamed, looking for seeds and bugs.

Last year our one adult pair had 13 chicks, and they were so comical to watch. The first time we saw the babies, they were so small their heads didn't come above the level of the grass. All you saw was the grass moving, so you knew the babies were there.

I like to think that one of those kids decided its parents were pretty cool, and came back this year to raise its own babies. Maybe next year there will be six adults raising their babies here at the farm.