A Quail Family

Hi - Yesterday, MaryAnne called me to the back door to watch some hewly hatched Gambel's Quail chicks venturing out around our yard. The Gambel's Quail chicks are ready to run around almost immediatly after coming out of the egg. After the chicks hatch, the family leaves the nest traveling in formation, the father in the lead, the puff-ball chicks in the middle, with mother taking up the rear. Gambel's Quail have been clocked on the ground a better than 15 miles per hour. I got some pictures of the chicks early venturing as you can see below.