Hunting Washington Forum
Other Hunting => Upland Birds => Topic started by: PolarBear on July 11, 2016, 09:44:53 AM
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Howdy. Yesterday I was removing and burning a pile of branches from a fir tree that I fell a few months back. I get almost done and discover a quail's nest with 10 eggs in it. I immediately covered it back up with the remaining branches. My question is do you think that she will come back to the nest or abandon it because I have disturbed it.
Thank you.
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There is a very good chance she will continue to incubate the eggs. If you flushed her off the nest, the later in the incubation period, the less likely she is to abandon the eggs.
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Was she gone long enough to let the eggs cool down significantly?
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She was gone for several hours but the nest remained covered for the whole time and in the sun. I did flush her off and she never went more than 100 yards away. I just hope that I didn't mess it up by moving things around.
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Had quail in my work neighborhood for 20 years. One nested under a small stack of pallets in the open next to ecology block forms. I ran loader and stripped forms next to her every day, never bothered her. I think you'll be alright. Keep an eye out though, they'll be gone in a day after hatching.
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Keep an eye out for her return I would think she will return as she knows it as a safe place. Are the eggs solid or speckled? Speckled eggs are valley quail, if they are solid almost skin colored they are mountain quail eggs. Either way I wish them the best. I saw several quail at our cabin on the east side last weekend but no chicks at all. Been tough on them with all the cool showers this spring.
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I have a pair here in town with 12 chicks running around. Luckily our cat leaves them alone.
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She was gone for several hours but the nest remained covered for the whole time and in the sun. I did flush her off and she never went more than 100 yards away. I just hope that I didn't mess it up by moving things around.
With her staying close my guess is she'll return to incubate.
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She will return and finish the job she started, it's funny how it works but the birds can get off the nest in the wilds and still have success. But if a person has 1000 eggs in a high dollar incubator and the power goes out for 6 hours your hosed, been there and done that.
