Apparently the egg is malleable enough that the hatchlings can peck a semi-circle and squeeze out without breaking the shell. This was dry and firm when I found it. We have not had nearly as many quail babies this year as last, but a couple families are passing through regularly. We had to give up the quail seed blocks because the javelina were devouring them in a matter of days!
Archive for the ‘Wildlife’ Category
Amazing Quail Egg!
June 28th, 2011 by pattiebell
Pair O' Bunnies
May 14th, 2011 by pattiebell
I came upon these critters when I moved the trash cans they were hiding behind out for pick-up. Thanks to guest Steven Schlecht, who was celebrating his birthday with us, for the photo!
Kitty Kitty
June 11th, 2010 by pattiebell
Green Valley guest Ken Van Horn got up close and personal with this Bobcat as he and Mary Ann were about to depart. After posing for this shot, the cat sauntered around to the patio off of our kitchen, where she took a 3 hour nap under the night blooming cereus (more on that subject next week) . When I went out to water my drooping herb pots she just sat there and watched me before stretching and strolling off.
The Bobcat (Lynx rufus) is a North American mammal of the cat family, Felidae. With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States. The Bobcat is an adaptable predator that inhabits wooded areas, as well as semi-desert, urban edge, forest edges and swampland environments. It persists in much of its original range and populations are healthy.
With a gray to brown coat, whiskered face, and black-tufted ears, the Bobcat resembles the other species of the mid-sized Lynx genus. It is smaller than the Canadian Lynx, with which it shares parts of its range, but is about twice as large as the domestic cat. It has distinctive black bars on its forelegs and a black-tipped, stubby tail, from which it derives its name.
Though the Bobcat prefers rabbits and hares, it will hunt anything from insects and small rodents to deer. Prey selection depends on location and habitat, season, and abundance. Like most cats, the bobcat is territorial and largely solitary, although there is some overlap in home ranges. It uses several methods to mark its territorial boundaries, including claw marks and deposits of urine or feces. The Bobcat breeds from winter into spring and has a gestation period of about two months.
Although Bobcats have been hunted extensively by humans, both for sport and fur, their population has proven resilient. The elusive predator features in Native American mythology and the folklore of European settlers.
Visit from the Javelina
May 11th, 2010 by pattiebell
Visit form the Javelina
Javelina are peccaries – medium-sized animals, with a strong superficial resemblance to pigs. Their preferred food consists of roots, grass, seeds, and fruit. When they visit El Rancho Merlita they are particularly attracted to our quail seed block. They can wreak quite a bit of havoc in the hummingbird bed I planted earlier in the spring. This particular morning our guests had almost as much fun watching their innkeeper try to scare them out of said bed as they did seeing the javelina themselves. These 2 were part of a group of 4 who passed through during the breakfast hour.
