Subject: [Tweeters] Fooled by a feather and an X-rated breakfast
Date: Apr 14 07:44:24 2008
From: hrudkaj mary - hrudkajm at hotmail.com



This morning a pair of mountain quail showed up just as I got back into the house from putting out their feed. Grabbing the binocs and taking a quick peek I thought they were both males. Since the water was boiling and demanding to become tea I put down the binos and prepared breakfast. While sitting and taking my time over breakfast I used the binos to check out a lone male feeding on the ground. As I watched it, wondering where the other male was, the one feeding moved to the edge of the scotch broom where the second bird was waiting. After a moment of looking at each other the quail in the brush squatted down and the other bird mounted it and consummated their relationship. After a lingering feather rustling both birds came into the open and I realized I should have taken a longer look at the birds when I first saw them. Fortunately they didn't have a post-coital cigarette as smoking is bad for pregnancies.

The differences between genders in mountain quail are very subtle and they sure fooled me this morning. This is the first I've seen mountain quail copulating out in the open. And considering when I've seen new young in past years this is an extraordinarily early time for them to mate. I'll be looking forward to seeing the little ones later this spring and early summer.

Also, the satellite tagged band=tailed pigeon is still around and it seems the other pigeons are starting to accept it as it was feeding with the flock of 20 or so this morning.

Mary Hrudkaj
Belfair/Tahuya
hrudkajm at hotmail.com

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