Chukars are always the last birds to have their babies around here. Just when you have convinced yourself they have all been eaten by the bobcats, you hear that wonderful "chuck, chuck, chuck" and it suddenly seems there are small grey balls of feathers everywhere. There is good reason for their tardiness - the bird's main food source is seeds and they are not usually ready until mid-July at the earliest.
This group is our largest so far. There are fourteen chicks visible in the first photo but we have counted 20 in the brood!
Mama does a good job of looking after them. Typically we see two adults with each group of chicks but this collection always seem to travel with just one.
She keeps watching until her entire brood is over the hill and out of sight.
I saw two other babies yesterday - this small mule deer fawn...
And a very young cottontail!
Mama does a good job of looking after them. Typically we see two adults with each group of chicks but this collection always seem to travel with just one. 
She keeps watching until her entire brood is over the hill and out of sight.
And a very young cottontail!
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