Friday, July 20, 2012

May We Have Your Attention, Please?


We have a rather BIG announcement to make 
from the gardens this morning...


Mr. and Mrs. Quail would like to formally announce... 


We have BABIES!


One little, two little, three little, four little, five little, six little 
sweet balls of fluff!


 Can you see the babies in the garden?
Nature provides a great camouflage for their protection.


 And Papa Quail is always on the look-out for any lurking danger.
It's his job to find a perch to survey the landscape 
as the little ones embark on their daily adventure.


And when Papa says "Pip! Pip! Pip!
They are quick to obey...
see the little guy who heard him first?


Within a matter of seconds,
they all respond to his voice and run toward him.


Obviously this was just a training drill 
and they all passed the test.


Sometimes Mamma finds her own perch 
to watch over them... a bit of freedom is always good.
 


And yet, even with tender watchful care, 
bad things can happen.
We watched as over the course of just a few days...
the brood grew smaller.

Magpies, neighboring cats... 
all are predators to our little balls of fluff.


And though it breaks my heart...
such is nature.

Maybe two will be more manageable.



You may enjoy reading my first post about Quail in our Garden
by following the link below:

All My Life I Have Dreamed of This...

In all my years of gardening, 
this is the first time we have ever had quail in our gardens...
and we're having such fun!



19 comments:

  1. How sweet, and how sad the ending. Your photos are so charming. I hope the two survived. Earlier this summer we had an entire nest of baby bluebirds disappear, nest and everything. We suspect raccoons. 

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  2. How fun is that, but it's also sad that only two are left. I was hoping that perhaps the others flew away, or that they're hiding somewhere. Very sweet post, though.

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  3. Awwwww. these are so cute!  I'm a sucker for this type of creature. I would like something called  a 'minipig' but my husband won't allow it.  Thanks for visiting my blog by the way.  I think London just joined you in the hot weather stakes.  Here's to survival of the rest of your birds. 

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  4. What a wonderful post, it is sad though that only two have survived.

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  5. Absolutely delightful, then I came to the end of the story. As you say, such is nature, sad though.

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  6. They really are sweet. Sorry to hear there are only two little ones left. I never saw a quail in the wild, let alone a family of them. Thank you for posting.

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  7. So sad! Let's hope that the rest of the babies will survive!

    Satu

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  8. I enjoy your wonderful narration of a  bitter-sweet family saga. Such adorable fluffs of balls and four were lost. How sad.

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  9. Aw, what a sweet sight! I'm sorry to hear the brood has dwindled so but you're right, such is nature.  We worried and worried over how the owlets were doing after they left the box.  A sweet neighbor took the time to let me know that she had seen four of them on her back fence after they left our house.  We were so relieved.  Haven't heard anything though for a month...still wondering how they are and if the parents will be back next spring...

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  10. RedHouseGarden BlogJanuary 9, 2013 at 7:54 PM

    Aw, how cute that you have a little quail family in your garden!  That would be sad to see them disappearing.  I hope the remaining ones grow and live to start new little families in your garden!

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  11. oh how lovely, but it must be so sad to see them diminish

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  12. Just wonderful pictures! I have happy memories of your part of the country, camping with my family in the Uinta Mountains and around Dinosaur UT.

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  13. Jeannie Downs BaumeisterJanuary 9, 2013 at 7:54 PM

    I love your story and pictures of the Quail.  I am so sad about the little baby quail.  Life is not easy.

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  14. Oh how ABSOLUTELY cute they are!! Sad to know that there is little one can do about the cruelty of nature, but we need to resepct it! You captured them so beautifully.

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  15. Donna@Gardens Eye ViewJanuary 9, 2013 at 7:54 PM

    Nature is cruel...they are just the cutest things and quail are such a beautiful critter...how very special your garden is

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  16. Adorable photos. I can't think about that part of nature though as it's so sad, especially when it's something that you enjoy watching.
    Cher
    Sunray
    Gardens

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  17. Oh oh oh.....oh....Quail, I have such a soft spot in my heart for those little bobbin heads.  I saw my first real live quail this spring through our groundfloor office window, and I was enraptured.  

    Never seen babies...so glad to hear that at least 2 have survived.

    Thanks so much for brightening my day.

    Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

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  18. I love this!!!  You are one lucky person:)  Hope they stay safe and happy.  Wonderful pics!  Chris from Las Aventuras

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  19. Great post, Jodi! I enjoyed reading about the various
    hydrangeas. I have several but they can be tempermental at times. It's so nice
    to hear they can handle the sun. Now I understand better why we have blooms on
    one plant and not on others we pruned at the wrong time! Can't thank you
    enough!Jaipur Flowers
     

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