Hitchhiking Quail

[300RUM]

I left from Chandler and arrived up near Mormon Lake to set up elk camp and discovered I had an unexpected passenger. A baby quail. Mom had decided to build her nest on top of some jerry cans stowed on a somewhat sheltered location of my trailer. It must have been a terrifying ride. Feeling sorry for the little bird I picked some seeds and caught a few bugs in an attempt to provide dinner. A washcloth was provided as a blanket for his first "cold" night. He didn't make it till morning. 

[muledeerarea33?]

That’s sad. Poor fella

[Coffeeman]

Dang living with quail is awesome we had a nest of eight grow up in our side yard a few years ago. Sorry to hear it didn’t work out for that one. Most everyone here slows down for them when they cross the road especially when they have those little ones! They look like little peanuts with legs!

[brademan76]

Looks like a dove. A quail is on its feet and running shortly after hatching, not sticking around a nest. 

[wish2hunt]

That was a baby dove.

[Roosevelt Mark]

I'm not as sad now that it's a dove.

[300RUM]

Looks like I get an "F" in baby bird identification. My parents have a large lot that is natural desert. My father and I have a number of trailers and some equipment parked along one side of the lot. There are always a bunch of quail hanging out underneath them enjoying the shade. I don't see many doves around the trailers so I just kind of assumed the baby was a quail. Oops.

[Jimmer Negamanee]

You tried your best to help the little feller.  There was nothing else you could do.  Nature can be cruel and random sometimes.  Doves are not exactly master nest builders and sometimes pick very precarious nest sites.  I had one build a nest on the very skinny end of a palo verde tree in my front yard.  She laid two eggs but the first monsoon erased all trace of the nesting site. 

Good luck on your hunt and let us know how it goes.

 

[lancetkenyon]

Baby quail are striped. 

Darn Eurasians are invading everything I guess.