Just a few minutes ago I was at my computer doing some work for school, and my attention was caught by a swirling, whirling cloud blocking the sun right outside my sliding doors. I looked up, mouth definitely hanging open. A huge gathering of quail were setting down in my backyard. Although, perhaps I shouldn't be saying backyard but back patio. With all the grassy area to choose from, why did they pick the patio? They strutted around, narrowly missing each other as they perambulated all over the patio. They didn't so much as glance in the direction of the grassy areas. You could hear their squawking even through the doors and with the fan going.
I had counted about 4 dozen of them when they just as suddenly got up, en masse, and in a grouping that looked pretty much like a tornado touching down to earth, they flew off towards the woods further back. I almost thought I had imagined them, but they left a lot of "evidence" behind on the patio. Sigh. I suppose if you got to go, you got to go, but why pick my patio out of all areas available to them?
Oh well, the patio probably needed hosing down anyway. And I got something out of the experience besides a strange moment in nature. I learned that "a group of quail is called a covey, bevy, or drift." Yup, I'm going to miss my backyard when we move.
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