Sunflowers and Quail

My sister is growing a couple of rows of sunflowers...

...and my mother is stitching a sunflower.

Is that synergy or what? 

I'm hoping she finishes just as the sunflowers begin to bloom.

Time once again for a Bird Count - courtesy of Padma and Parvati.

No shortage of Hummingbirds!

They are amazing pollinators - I've watched them work most all my plants, and they've been busy in my sister's garden - sipping from tomatoes, morning glory, cucumbers, and winter squash.

I can't remember ever having so many Quail Families as we have this year.  I've kinda' given up keeping them all sorted out.  Single parent Atticus Quail now has a parent aka 'Modern Family' as you can see in the above photo.  Cam and Mitchell, as I now call them, are still watching over 15 babies - this was the first group born and are the biggest (size-wise).

This is another Quail family - the babies are younger and there are at least 12 of them - along with a Mama and a Papa.

I think we have a couple of more families too - one with a single mother as the only parent of a group of 12 - and another group of 8-10 with both parents.

I've included this shot as a gentle reminder to myself about 'interfering with Nature.'  I saw this Papa Quail out in the open - motionless - for several minutes.  I thought - napping?  Naw.  Hurt? Maybe.  So I got closer.  As it turns out he was motionless for a reason.  There was a hawk perched in a tree right above him.  He acted as a decoy to protect his mate and the many baby quail who were all motionless and hidden in the grass nearby.  That was the case anyway until I got too close, startled him and all the other quail, AND the hawk!  I then rushed through the grass and brambles to make sure that no one got injured / killed due to my stupidity - and to make sure the hawk flew off.  I did get the hawk to leave the area without anyone for breakfast.  Lesson: The Quail were doing just fine without my bumbling around!