A Bevy of California Quail on California's Lost Coast

We've been exploring the north coast of California this week, and while stopped for a picnic at Way Park in Humboldt County, we saw movement in the grass. It took a few minutes for them to expose themselves to us, but it was a huge bevy of California Quail chicks (Callipepla californica) and their babysitters.

I've been trying unsuccessfully to get a few shots of quail chicks over the last year, and I'm still not happy with these. They keep their distance, are very cautious, and are well-camouflaged in the tall grass. And they never stop moving! It's like watching a dozen energizer bunnies at once.

How well-hidden can they be? How many chicks can you see in the picture below?

I certainly had no idea how many there were. Check my video and see how an apparent small group of two or three chicks turns into more than a dozen. And notice how they never stop moving!


Way County Park is pretty remote. It's between the villages of Honeydew and Petrolia on the Mattole River at the north end of California's Lost Coast. The Mattole is one of California's truly wild rivers, with no dams along its length.