On Wednesday I watched a sad event unfold here in Yakima.

As I pulled my car into a parking lot, I saw a pair of California
Quail run across a storm drain followed two, day-old chicks. As the
family crossed the drain, one of the chicks disappeared between the
cracks and dropped into the drain. About 10 feet past the drain,
hearing the cries of the lost chick, the mother turned around and ran
back to investigate. Not knowing the chick was in the drain, the
confused mother quickly crossed the grate again, followed by her last
chick. This chick then disappeared through the drain grate too. She
then crossed the drain again. Her little brain was not able to figure
out what was happening as she led each one of your youngsters to their
death, while at the same time she was trying to save them.

I got out of my car and ran over to look down the drain, only to
discover 6 dead chicks, plus the two newly doomed chicks in a shallow
pool of water. This pathetic little disaster had apparently been
unfolding for several minutes before I arrived. The grate was too
heavy for me to move.

I would guess that this scenario happens thousands of times each summer.

When I came back later, the adults were gone.

--
Scott R a y
AFLAC
Moxee, WA
509.961.2625
mryakima at gmail dot com