Tag Archives: Gambel's quail

It’s All About the Quail

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A young female Gambel’s Quail walking past the cactus statue.

We have two types of birds that visit every day. Quail and doves. I enjoy quail more than doves, because with their top knots they look like clowns and have tons of personality.

I caught this sharp photo of a male quail alone on the bird block.

This female quail strikes a pose on a backyard bench.

Papa quail is looking a bit round. I can tell the difference between the adults and juveniles who are entering adulthood by their size. The ones who hatched in the Spring look skinny in comparison to this guy (see the first photo for a young one.)

A female quail caught mid step on a bench (above) and a male below.

Wickham Works Cards Update:

It’s been a couple days since my website went live for my photographic greeting cards. I mailed out my first order to a fellow blogger. Thank you!

I went out to dinner with women I used to volunteer with to raise money for a residential facility to rehab sex-trafficked victims. Our group is defunct, but we still get together socially. One of those ladies looked at my cards and asked for custom stationery featuring her name and flowers.

Yes, I can take custom orders, too! I hadn’t thought about that before.

If you get a chance, visit my website: https://www.wickhamworkscards.com/

One of my cards with the star named Red.

Happy weekend! What are your plans?

Friday Photos

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Red stayed away for another five days, but Mrs. was here every day. I wonder if Red got into a fight because he has a black spot on the side of his head he didn’t have before. But I did read that Cardinals molt once a year, so maybe that’s it. Or, I have a new bird altogether. Fortunately, he stopped by this week several times a day. My neighbor has promised to keep the birds fed while we’re out of town.

Good news. Red is looking more normal each day and keeps on visiting our backyard.

At least Mrs. is always around which makes me feel good!

A neighbor told me I should name this quail dad “Lucky.”

Lucky visits every day with his wife and three babies. Somehow he lost his tail, but he is still standing strong. That’s how he earned his name.

This is a Mourning Dove at our new bird bath. I left the old one empty when we visited our son and daughter-in-law because I didn’t want it to become a breeding ground for mosquitos. Normally I change the water every day. So the end of the story is that the old bird bath didn’t survive in the heat being dry. A resin coating splintered and peeled leaving an unhealthy mess for the birds.

A Gila Woodpecker hopped on for a ride.

Another look at Red and Mrs. before we leave for our beach vacation.

Last but not least, it was Waffles the pug’s 10th birthday this week. It seems like yesterday he celebrated birthday number one while we were on our beach vacation! These two photos were taken at our friends’ house in Santa Barbara for Waffles first birthday.

My daughter made flyers and held a party for Waffles in a park near her apartment. She gave flyers to friends, co-workers, her favorite coffee shop and hung them on telephone poles in her neighborhood. She invited everyone with dogs or not and promised dog treats for all dogs. She had a crowd that included her friends and families and even a group of eight-year-old boys she didn’t know who wrapped presents for Waffles. Everyone thought it was a perfect family-friendly evening at the park and want to meet every week.

The old man Waffles with gray hair at age 10.

What photos do you like? What do you think is up with Red’s head?

What are your plans for the weekend?

Weekend Captures

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I had some fun bird photography this weekend.

Plus, we had guests over that I was so excited to see. One of our kids’ friends from club swimming in Palm Springs who lives in Tempe with her husband and six-month old first born baby! We made lunch and they played in the pool.

I also managed to get a few captures of bird photos that I like.

A Roadrunner darted about chasing quail. This clever guy hid himself in a planter at the far end of the yard with only his head showing. He’d jump out “Beep beep!” and go for the chase. Fortunately, he didn’t have success.

Curve-billed Thrasher with fuzzy feathers make me believe he’s a youngster.

This Abert’s Towhee juvenile explored a planter.

More juvies looking for trouble!

A Gila Woodpecker up in the tree surveying the quail spectacle below.

This grown up Curve-billed Thrasher was keeping an eye out for the young one.

Mrs. and Red hung out in the morning before it got too hot!

We even have a juvenile croc!

Which photos do you like best?

What fun did you have this weekend?

It’s All About Quail

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The quail are always in our backyard. There are so many families with mom and dad and a batch of babies that I can’t keep track. One family has two babies. Another has 10 or 11 and there are families with every number in between.

The poppa quail usually finds a perch on a bench or rock to have a good view of his family while they scratch around for birdseed in the gravel, or visit the birdseed block.

A pretty momma quail mostly stays with her babies. I see the moms calling out to them to round them up and keep them close by.

Here’s a teenager quail. There are very few little itty bitties around anymore. They grow up so quickly!

Here’s a group of babies hanging out in the shade of a barrel cactus.

Three young ones making their move to the bird seed block.

This teenager has legs!

Another poppa quail on the lookout for his family.

I will miss these quail families when the babies are all grown up and they start their own family units. That will be next spring.

Happy Monday! What are your plans this week?

Favorite bird photos of the week

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I got quite a few good photos of Red and Mrs. I saw them every single day, but not a glimpse of their fledglings. I wonder if they flew the nest and are living life without mom and dad?

We had an amazing evening with Red. I spotted him on the fence to our courtyard outside our front door. I talked to him, calling “Hey Red.” I went inside and told my husband. He suggested we sit in the courtyard and hang out with Red. We enjoyed the sun with Red flitting above us. Red flew into the tree we were sitting under. He flew to the wall, the fence and back up into the tree, singing to us. He called for Mrs. and she joined our group. We hung out with them for half an hour and finally went inside.

I took this with my iphone, so the quality isn’t that great. But you can see how we got to hang out with our friendliest bird Red.

Here’s one of the photos I took of Mrs. this week. I’m liking this week’s photos because of the clarity of my subject birds (not the ones in the background.) This is thanks to my photographer friend Gary Gruber. He suggested a few weeks ago that I change my settings to a faster shutter speed.

A gilded flicker stopped at the birdbath in the morning light.

A White-winged dove was hanging out for a day.

The resident bully bird, a Curve-billed Thrasher, loves to throw his beak around and intimidate the other birds.

Papa quail with his babies having a word with Red.

I had a first time visitor to the birdseed block. This is Albert’s Towhee. I used his call on my Merlin app to identify him and then went to All About Birds to ID him according to his looks.

I got this closeup of a quail dad’s face and fluffy feathers.

Which photo or photos are your favorites?

What are your weekend plans?

Do you have anything special planned to celebrate July 4th plans?

Friday Photos

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I captured the morning light in this bunny’s ears. We have bunnies everywhere, but I mostly see them on my morning walks as they dash across the road. They are frightened of big old me!

I was sitting in the waiting room of my husband’s PT yesterday, looking through the week’s photos I had captured. I am sharing the ones I like best — that didn’t make it into Monday or Wednesday’s posts. Enjoy a few of my week’s favorite photos.

It looked like Red was having a bad hair day or for some reason fluffed himself up.

A Mourning Dove looking grand in our backyard.

We don’t often see these guys. I looked up Arizona black bird with black beak and yellow eye. Grackle is what came up.

A rare appearance to see Red and Mrs. in the backyard at the same time — without any fledglings.

A quail baby growing up. They do grow up so quickly!

This was a baby pic I took a few weeks ago. We don’t have any quail this tiny anymore.

Here’s Red a few seconds after the fluffy look. Does anyone know what the fluffy feathers is about?

Which photo or photos do you like best?

What are your weekend plans?

Bird Watching

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This is a fledgling who appeared with Red in my Wednesday post. This is such a fun year with a possible three babies to watch with Red and Mrs., my backyard cardinal couple.

Add to that multiple quail families with babies ranging from brand new and itty bitty to rangy teens.

Baby quail.

Papa guarding his babies.

A family of older babies hanging out in the shade under a bench with daddio. Smart birds! It’s gotten hot!

These are the itty bitty babies.

Then there’s the backyard bully bird — the Curve-Billed Thrasher. He doesn’t look so mean perched on a pink flamingo a friend gave me from Costco for a birthday present.

A female Gilded Flicker can make a quick dent in the food block.

Do you have a favorite photo? If so which one?

What’s on the agenda for the first weekend of June?