Tales from the Garden

During the past year, our garden has hosted an increasing number of visits by a lovely little covey of Gambel’s Quail.    In the early morning, they come running up from the wash below our house, usually single file, and slip quickly through the fence gates to get to their favorite spots. Then for the next hour or so, they drink and dip in the birdbaths, forage for seeds below the feeders, and use their strong bills to turn over garden rocks to pluck ants from the ground. The scientific name for Gambel’s Quail is Callipepla gambelii, which comes from the Greek for “beautiful robe”.   And indeed, they are cloaked in a gorgeous array of feathers: both the male and female have a black crest that looks like a forward-facing comma, an elegant gray neck and back, striking chestnut-and-cream patches on their sides, and a cream-colored belly streaked with brown.   In addition, the male has a large black patch on his lower belly and his face, and a chestnut cap.   ...