Here’s a quail selfie from my Bird Buddy AI bird feeder.
Twice this week I spotted baby quail. Once was on our morning walk and a mom and dad were followed by the teeniest quail babies I’ve ever seen. They must have hatched that day.
Yesterday afternoon, a family of quail marched into our backyard from the wash. They were a little older and didn’t stay long enough for me to get a video or picture.
I immediately ran to the front of our house to see if our quail eggs had hatched.
Our nest of eggs in a planter of Elephant Feed.
No, the eggs are still there and it’s been a month since I’ve seen a momma or papa quail in the nest.
Unfortunately, the quail chose a planter next to our garage. At first, I’d see quail fly away when I’d pull into the garage or back the car out. Raising the garage door was enough noise to make the parents take flight.
I’m afraid the quail were scared away and they abandoned their nest. Or something could have happened to them. It’s a wild world out there. I’ve read what to do with eggs to get them to hatch. The most sensible advice is to wait and see. I also realize that I’m not opening the garage door very often. Maybe the quail parents are there, but not when I’m there.
Does anyone have advice while I wait for our eggs to hatch? Do you think the nest has been abandoned?
This Mom has these eggs are hatching soon. Anita
I hope so!
I hope that these eggs hatch too. 😍
I am worried they wont!
What a waste. But that’s nature for you.
It is. I’m sad because I was so excited to see the hatchlings. We did have a big family of quail visit our yard this morning though.
Yes one does feel sad that one whole clutch of egg failed to hatch, but I’m sure there will be plenty more quails to compensate.
Google says 18 days to hatch. Has it been that long since they were laid? …I think sadly these may be goners 🙁
Yes, it’s been since mid April 😞
Oh gosh…I have no widsom to share…since April? Sad face…sad face…😢😢😢
I feel sad, like they were going to be my own babies!
I know…I’m feeling that, too — and that’s just from seeing the photo…not even being near. Sad! So sorry. I’m surprised they haven’t been snatched and eaten….
Last year, we had a nest in another planter and it was so fun to have the little hatchlings running around. This year, they laid the eggs while we were out of town, so I bet mom and dad quail didn’t realize the location next to the garage door wasn’t ideal.
I bet you’re right. I love all of the nature stories, Elizabeth…especially when they’re so poignant. 💕
Thank you, but I don’t like this story. 🥲
❤️❤️❤️
The quails I’ve had nesting typically don’t leave the nest until the eggs hatch, or the return quickly if they get spooked. I think the eggs need to be kept very warm to hatch, so they probably won’t hatch. So sad.
I’m afraid something happened to the parents. We don’t even drive every day, so they shouldn’t have been that spooked.
Snakes love Quail Eggs.
I’ve heard that. I have a friend who moved out here from Palm Springs 15 years ago. She said every time she sees a nest of quail eggs in her yard, snakes get them.
And I can assure you, snakes are all around you out there in Arizona.
I’m sure we do. I’m glad I haven’t seen any in my yard, but they’re probably there.
But if they haven’t gotten to the eggs in a month, maybe they’re safe?
We will wait and see. I think we’re weeks over hatching time 🥲
The Momma Quail was sneaky. Keeping close to civilization will keep the Snakes more at Bay. Thing about snakes, they are not what I call social critters.
Interesting!
Wow, that’s a huge investment on the mom’s part to abandon, but it seems to be so. Even sadder is when nestlings die. I watched a red-tailed hawk allow it’s young to die in a snowstorm after its mate went missing. When it comes to living wild, a live adult is more precious than new young. The adult can always try again the next year.
I’m sad. I did read that people who raise quail for eggs say they lay 300 eggs a year. So maybe it’s not such a big deal to leave a nest of eggs if they felt it wasn’t safe?
That’s a lot of eggs! But those are well-fed domestics.
True!
Those are a lot of eggs!
So sad I think they’re abandoned.
Well, let’s cross our fingers that maybe they aren’t abandoned. They were obviously scared off by something. It’s really a wide open next, not sheltered.
It’s inside a big elephant feed plant and the planter is three feet tall, so it’s protected. I got a close up with my iphone, in between branches. You can’t see the nest unless you look for it.
Keep us posted, wondering if the eggs start cracking open or if another animal starts eating them.
👍🏼