I’ve been really curious about this quail and her nest ever since I discovered it in late May. What surprised me at first was how seemingly late in the season she laid her eggs. We were just about to get into some seriously hot days and while in the past I thought birds sat on their eggs to keep them warm, in this case I’m wondering if she sat them to keep them from frying. In the hottest part of the afternoon, she was always hunkered down.
There’s also the habit of quails around here to lay their eggs in planters or pots. I suspected it was for protection from snakes, but I also wonder if has something to do with the cool dirt.
The hatch came close to coinciding with the onset of the summer monsoons which actually makes sense since the new growth and the subsequent onslaught of insects provide young quail with a good supply of protein. Nature is fascinating to me.
Three of the eggs didn’t hatch. The one that exploded I had barely touched. I’m thinking the hen must have known this and that’s why she abandoned her nest. Up to that point, she seemed so faithful even thought the normal incubation period had long passed.