It never really gets cool at night, durning the summer months. Be that as it may, on family group of quail remain hidden throughout the night. The night is a dangerous time for quail. There are many predators that are exclusively nocturnal hunters; quail is part of the "bill of fair". As the night yields to day the family begins it's usual routine. They have a given territory that will be traversed. They don't always cover the exact same rout, but they will take in the usual stops over time. On this day they have come back to a particular destination they haven't been to in 2 or 3 days. But, on this day ,when they arrive, there has been a change. The usual bounty of food is there, and this was very welcome. There was also the blessed water. The morning was already above 90 deg. far. and it will needed. But there is an added treat. As the quail continue their course through the property they come upon the back yard. Here there was a new structrue...a fence. But that did not concerne ther quail ever much: a fence is no obstical for a quail. No, what caught the attention of the birds was the sixe lushious green pyrocantha plants and the moist cool earth beneath each one. A cool damp dust bath is in order. Oh how good that will feel. And so the group begins the earthy ablutions. Wallow out a nice deep depression. Toss the moist earth up and over the entire body. Settle in and doze. Mom, pop and the kiddies all partake of this wonderful bonus. They lingered much longer than they would ordinarily. Eventually all get up and continue on their way: the schedule upset for the day. But for a while they had releaf from the heat. Tomorrow they would return and for several day there after.
This group I followd from the time the chicks were just little fuzz-balls no bigger than your thumb. They develope feathers at an alarming rate. In 7-10 days they are fully flight capable. Pop is the bird with the black face and dark cap: mom is bird looking to the left.
