Suddenly, ahead of me on the path through the orchards are the quail couple with their small chicks, taking a stroll together in the early evening light.
Amazingly, I catch up with them, and get some close images of the chicks...
Amazingly, I catch up with them, and get some close images of the chicks...
Quail chicks
California quail chick
| At first the group does not even seem to mind my presence. Finally, the male starts a series of alarm chirps, and the chicks begin to run back into the tall dry grasses for cover. | 
Male California quail accompanying the chicks
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Quail chicks running, and disappearing back into the dry grass
Male bluebird with worm Back at the bluebird nest box, female brings a bug into the nest - for the first time, the baby birds can be heard chirping.
Male waits with a worm to deliver on a nearby utility wire.
Male waits with a worm to deliver on a nearby utility wire.
Pacific Slope Flycatcher
I think at first this is a black phoebe, sitting and hunting for insects on the drip lines at the farm, but realize later it is the small Pacific Slope flycatcher. Both birds are insect catchers.
A red-breasted nuthatch shows up at the back yard suet feeder, with a couple of young fledglings with it...Notice the difference being the stripe through the eye, and a reddish under body coloring, from the white breasted nuthatch. Otherwise, they are the same size and shape. (Pygmy nuthatches much smaller)
Shows the reddish breast of the red-breasted nuthatch
This is one of the young red-breasted nuthatch
Red-breasted nuthatch, showing the stripe through the eye and the red breast
By comparison, below is the white-breasted nuthatch, co-incidentally around the same time, arriving at the water bowl among the feeders in the back yard.
White-breasted nuthatch getting a drink, back yard