Subject: [Tweeters] Doves and quail in unusual places
Date: May 1 12:47:12 2016
From: mary hrudkaj - mch1096 at hotmail.com


Jeff Gibson's posting on doves reminded me of the unusual place I saw two Mountain Quail yesterday morning on the way into Belfair on North Shore Rd. A pair of quail were on the uphill (non-shore side) of the road and darted out across the road as I approached. The brakes on my car work well so the quail were not harmed in the making of this story. What was odd about the quail was that they were headed to the shore. Maybe a bit of early morning beach combing? Checking to see what the gulls were up to? Trying to figure out what all that water was about??? One normally equates mountain quail out in this area with dry brushy ridgetops or deeply remote hillsides, certainly not out for a walk to the beach.


The one Eurasian Collared Dove that's came in the with the Band-tailed pigeons is still around from time to time. Fortunately it has never found a mate so I rarely hear it coo-ing.


A year ago when wandering roads just east of Cle Elum we encounted a California quail perched on a stub about 12 feet up in a poplar, singing away on the roadside. We watched it and it watched us before we both left in opposite directions.


Isn't nature amazing?


Mary Hrudkaj

Belfair/Tahuya