Yung'un

(back blip #2 of 4)

That's 'young one' in redneck-ese.
I'm not sure whether this Gambel's quail will grow to be a male or female but I know it's still young. I was standing in the yard and this 'fella' didn't seem to know any better. In its quest to find seed under the stones, it got within a foot of me. Mom and dad had taken off after noticing a small movement and must have feared for their lone child. Eventually, I rubbed my foot around in the stones to make enough noise to chase it off. But it didn't work. Finally, I made a bigger noise and said in a voice usually loud enough to keep birds away, "Hey, I'm a human. You're supposed to be afraid." That did the trick. The family came back a little later when I was sitting on the patio. This time, I let them eat in peace.