Summer before last when I moved here, just walking with Jack in the neighborhood, I came upon a little covey of quail. California Quail, adults and juvies. I had no idea they lived around here—but thanks to some transplants back in the 1800s, they do.
They’ve been fun to watch, to get to know. At this time of year, they have young ’uns. I’ve seen fewer young ’uns than in the past two years (just one with its mom this afternoon), but they still inspire in me the power of tiny living things to mature quickly, to beat the odds, to survive to adulthood, and to bring into the world other tiny living things.
LFG, little quail.
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 7:14 a.m. (8:14 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Lazuli Bunting
2. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay
3. House Finch*
4. Song Sparrow*
5. Black-chinned Hummingbird
6. Spotted Towhee
7. Rock Pigeon
8. Black-billed Magpie**
9. Black-capped Chickadee (v)
10. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
11. American Robin*
12. Black-headed Grosbeak (v)
13. Warbling Vireo (v)
14. Cooper’s Hawk (v)
Elsewhere
15. Eurasian Collared-dove
16. Lesser Goldfinch
17. California Gull
18. European Starling
19. House Sparrow
20. California Quail
Mammals
Rock Squirrel
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American robin, black-billed magpie, black-capped chickadee, black-chinned hummingbird, black-headed grosbeak, blue-gray gnatcatcher, California gull, California quail, cooper's hawk, Eurasian collared dove, European starling, house finch, house sparrow, lazuli bunting, lesser goldfinch, rock pigeon, song sparrow, spotted towhee, warbling vireo, Woodhouse’s scrub jay
