… wherefore art thou, quail?

Ever hard to see because they are so small and have such fantastic camouflage, they also have the additional advantage of being amazingly quick. They will bolt at the slightest movement from a human, so getting photos can be a challenge.

While walking today I came upon a number of them scratching in the dirt along with their buddies, the mallard ducks. The instant they heard me they scattered, running and flying for dear life, but after I stood absolutely still, they returned.

As quietly as I could, I crept closer while fishing my cell phone out of my pocket; unfortunately, I had no other camera with me.

In the front left corner you can see a couple of ducks; the quail seem to get on well with them and I often see them eating and hanging out together. The ducks are much larger but of course they’re all vegetarians!

I find them so cute with their little head feathers and the way they constantly chat with each other. I’ve noticed that the ducks seem to be more contentedly verbal and relaxed when the quail are nearby, too. It’s very true that all of us do better when we have a friend or two.

Happy Thursday.