When we moved into our new home in January, I was sad to say "Good-bye"to the Mt Quail families that had visited us in our previous home in the woods. I doubted we would be lucky enough for them to visit us in our new home.
Fortunately, my doubts were not realized! This week we have had a daily visit by an adult and his/her 4 chicks!
The sound of bubbling water in our water dish was probably the key to their initial visits.
We also have a yard that is in progress..We are adding native plants one by one but we have a long way to go. There are still lots of open patches of dirt. This must be an enticing feature since the quail family discovered soft dirt to bathe in. In arid places, dust bathing is an alternative to water bathing. The dust helps expel excessive oil and dry skin. Maintaining feathers is essential for a healthy bird. This 6 minute video captures an adult Mt Quail enjoying wallowing in the dirt followed by his/her chicks joining in the fun one by one. Funny how they don't mind being squashed next to each other. Enjoy!
