I forgot that I took these photos a few weeks ago of some quail’s egg shells in a nest. The nest was right on a bank outside a friend’s house in the dry grass on the ground. Amazing that no one saw it until now.
There were so many little egg shells and they are so pretty and speckled. We were not sure whether it looked like the eggs had hatched or not….they do have three foxes that frequent their property. Would foxes eat the whole egg or just break it open and eat what is inside?
We came home and looked up to make sure they belonged to a quail:
California Quail
We learned that a nest can have as many as 28 eggs! The nest is usually in a shallow depression on the ground and lined with grasses and other vegetation, usually 5-7 inches across.
We have quail in our yard sometimes but I have never seen a nest before.
There is always something new to see if you keep your eyes wide open.
I’ve never seen a quail’s nest. Had no idea they’d have so many eggs!
What a wonderful discovery!
http://laughingstars.net
Up to 28 eggs! That probably means a quail has many predators and that a lot of chicks will be lost. That is so sad. On the other hand, if they are lucky there will be many juveniles. In both cases it means a whole lot of work for the parents!
I think a fox would eat the whole egg. I haven’t dared to check and see what’s left of the nest that used to be in our yard. I think they were all eaten, even the adults have disappeared.