California Quail in Woodside, CA
Triptych; each panel  8.75 x 13.75 inches
 pencil on bristol board
 ©2005 Darryl Wheye     

                                                                                  
TOP: A covey as it might have looked one million years ago when the California Quail separated from its closest relative, the Gambel’s Quail, becoming a distinct species. In parts of Woodside, it is easy to see a rock formation usually referred to as “conglomerate”. In this drawing, the conglomerate, a rocky-road dough of hard, resistant boulders and cobbles mixed into a binding batter was eventually loosened and worn down, leaving behind the occasional perfect rock lozenge, like the one beneath the male quail (right).

MIDDLE:  A covey as it might have looked one thousand years ago, when the Muwekma-Ohlone inhabited the area. The male quail is perched on a mortar carved from the same lozenge-shaped rock seen above.  The mortar and pestle was used to grind acorns and other seeds into flour.  The birds are in front of a Valley Oak (Quercus lobata) whose acorns are fit for human consumption only after grinding and leaching to remove bitter tannins.

BOTTOM:  A covey as the birds look now, occupying the same tract in Woodside.  This time their home range incorporates a private residence that includes a small vineyard whose drip irrigation system, rows of grapevines, and perimeter of mostly native vegetation provide water, a protective grid that inhibits aerial predators, and an edge of dense cover. 
 

These three images suggest the ability of these birds to adapt to changing conditions.  The birds are not at risk in much of their range – 2,000,000 are hunted annually in California – but in suburban and surrounding semi-rural areas like Woodside, the birds are in decline.