Happy Birthday Baby Quail!

So after 3+ weeks of waiting, and watching the mother quail sitting on her eggs, they finally hatched! I had been checking several times a day, the last few days, to see if they had hatched or if she was still on the nest. Monday night I could see the mother still on the nest. Tuesday morning (Kimee and Audrey's birthday) I just saw the eggs. During the party, Dave went over and checked more closely and saw that the eggs were cracked open and that there were little feathers everywhere. Baby quail! We couldn't see them anywhere until after the kids' party. . .

We saw the little chicks under this bush, which is next to where the nest was.
Later that evening, at the birthday barbeque, mama quail starting leading her chicks out of the bush, across the back wall to the raspberry bushes.
She led them back and forth and back and forth several times (maybe 6?). We counted 8 chicks. It was sooo fun to watch.

Here mama quail is on a rock instructing her chicks that are just under the bush.
It was so fun to watch this little quail family in our yard for a few days.

Unfortunately, they have left our yard. I am sad about this. One time I saw the mama quail leading her chicks along the fence heading out of our yard. I started walking towards them and scared them back into the garden. Unfortunately, the next day they must have left when we weren't outside. There is an orchard across the street from us, so we think they are in there. I just hope a cat didn't get to them first. Goodbye baby quail and hope to see you next year!