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Went for an early morning outing today and pulled into the CIT Belconnen
Campus at 0630 hoping to see the quail I reported from there on Friday as Brown
Quail. The ghost of Audubon smiled upon me and I sighted three quail
near where I'd seen the birds on Friday and binoued them from 30m. They were
nicely lit by the low, early morning light sun and I positively ID'd them as
Stubble Quail. As I snuck toward them they took wing and didn't descend for at
least 60m. That characteristic (I believe Brown Quail don't fly so far when
flushed), plus some delayed doubt about the appearance of the plumage I'd
mentally noted on Friday had given me cause for second thought. And, perhaps,
the habitat at CIT Belconnen was a bit too dry, open and removed from water for
Brown Quail.
John Layton
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