Thanks for the post! We had a "California Quail" heard only, on a survey
several years ago for our monthly Restoration Point Count.

It was a very convincing call, but since then, our group has been
deliberating as to whether or not to validate it, or remove it from the
list.

Your post implies that starlings have got this call down!

-Jamie





From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Connie
Sidles
Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2012 5:14 PM
To: Ema Nakao
Cc: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Montlake Fill - California Quail



Hey tweets, re quail at the Fill: you have to be really, really careful
about quail calls at the Fill because the starlings can imitate the quail.
The difference, in my experience, is that when the starlings imitate, they
do only a short burst of quail-call. Real quails tend to keep up their
calling to make a complete song, if that makes sense.

FYI, I believe there is a small breeding population of quails somewhere
behind the Villa Academy, which is half a mile east of the Fill. I've heard
them calling from here in the early morning, absent any starlings.



I heard a quail calling at the Fill repeatedly back in February and finally
found one near the 4 yellow posts at Surber. I figured it had come to forage
at the neighbor's feeder on the south side of the hedge that borders the
Fill here.

So I'd say it's very possible Ema heard a quail.



Also at the Fill this morning was a pair (!) of Blue-winged Teal (on Main
Pond). I hope they stay to nest. Certainly, Cinnamon Teal have found plenty
of habitat at the Fill in the past few years. There is at least one pair on
every pond and slough this season. Blue-winged Teals like similar habitat
but in more open country; however, as the land continues to sink at the
Fill, we're getting quite a few prairie potholes (mini-sized) out in the
fields now. So maybe that's open country enough.



In other news: A young male Western Tanager has been singing his little
heart out in the alder grove southwest of the kiosk. No girl tanager
responds, at least not yet. A baby Brown Creeper has been learning how to
ratchet up tree trunks and forage at Boy Scout Pond, at the urging of its
parents, who, I think, are tired of feeding it anymore (see my blog for
details: www.constancesidles.com). A juvenile Dark-eyed Junco has been
hanging out around the Wedding Rock, a very rare sight at the Fill, as our
deepest forest is only about 8 trees wide. - Connie, Seattle



constancesidles at gmail.com
www.constancypress.com <http://www.constancypress.com/>





On May 26, 2012, at 10:36 AM, Ema Nakao wrote:





Hello!

This morning at around 9:40 AM, I heard a California Quail at the Montlake
Fill near the grassy knoll area facing the CUH. I thought I was crazy
because I've never heard quails at the fill before! A few moments later, two
other birders about to leave also heard the quail and came back. We waited
for a bit to hear/see the quail with no luck. I heard the quails once more
at around 10 AM behind me (facing opposite the CUH) but never saw them.

Ema Nakao
Seattle, WA
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