one little two little...

Hello baby quail.

Exactly 23 days later... ten little baby quail hatched from their little spotted eggs. What a cute bunch they were too. The pop quail stood tall on the wall leading to the courtyard. He was chattering back and forth to the momma as she was busy around her potted plant nest. They have been pretty comfortable with me being around as I am out there watering quite often, so I snapped a few photos.
Later, after Rachel came home, we watched (with our telephoto lens)as the momma was coaxing them up onto the side of the pot, over the edge on to the pedestal, where they bravely awaited their kamikaze free fall to the ground.
Then they tried out their little legs, some taking a bit longer than others, and started tottering around while Mom and Pop chirped and chattered around the patio.
Mom would jump back into the pot and coax some more and then jump back out and scurry around. While she was in the pot, the Pop quail would work on rounding up the little guys and try to keep them together.
It was just about as cute as it could be. These little babies are only about an inch and a half long. And just like the information about them said, they leave the nest within a few hours of hatching. It is hard to believe they get up and out so quickly. And more amazing is that they survived their free dive off the tall pedestal.
When they were over in the rocks it was almost impossible to see them because they blended in so well.
Isn't he sweet?
He was toddling around so fast it looks like he only had one leg.
Oops. He took a little tumble. Look closely and you can see their little topknots-they look like mohawks right now.
Up again and off he goes! "Wait for me!"
Mom and Pop rounding them all up.

Catch up you three...
A few hours later I went to the door to see if they were still out there.... but they were gone. Just as fast as they hatched they all had disappeared. I can hear Mom and Pop this morning chattering away as usual.. but no sign of the little babies. I'm sure that they are hiding somewhere amongst the rocks and cacti.

So, after confessing my misgivings of perhaps interrupting the nesting of the hummingbird yesterday, the momma quail pulled through and brought her little hatchlings full term. I will continue to feel pangs of guilt as I walk by that hummingbird nest, but just hope that perhaps something in the night had startled her, causing her to act strangely, banging herself into the ceiling.

These baby quail were so cute to watch yesterday. It has certainly been an adventure from the beginning, watching her leave more eggs each day. Seeing her sit in her nesting pot day after day and finally... being home when the quick hatching and nest leaving took place. I think I will miss seeing her sitting there in the plant.

Thank you Momma Quail for the excitement and I'm happy that 9 of your 12 eggs hatched successfully and you beat the odds this time. (Two eggs are still in the nest and one extra small baby just didn't seem to make it out of the pot).

Have fun with your little ones... hope I see them around the neighborhood!