Quails

For  the last two days I've been telling you about noisy-miners.  Now the miners are considered to be one of the more aggressive birds in the country.  They work in teams and families and can stand up to big birds like the crows and gang up on any bird  who won't give into their demands (e.g the friarbirds).

Quails on the other  hand are considered to be very timid and extremely vulnerable.  They have been easy targets for shooters and fall prey to predatory birds.

So imagine our surprise when a family of quails walked down from the grassy paddock into our backyard for a grand tour of the human habitat.  The adults were so confident and proud of their little chicks who were barely days old.  They inspected the bird baths, walked along the garden, checked out the undergrowth beneath the bushes, pausing every now and then to point significant items of interest to their young flock. They came right up to the back door and took a good long look inside.  By the time I grabbed the camera and focussed through the glass, it was time for them to leave, so some of the shots read more »

A quail family came over to the door.  Fortunately the camera was nearby.  They are so cute the way the their little feet patter around.  See the video below and click here for the full story and slideshow.

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    In one of those serendipitous moments, I was walking into the kitchen when my eyes spotted a famliy of quails walking down th bank.  The parents were keen to check out the backyard and the six little chicks in tow did not miss a beat as they walked around the lilypots, examined the rocks, walked up to the back door, gazed in for a good look at the human nest and then continued around the flower pots to otherside of the  read more »