Yeah, and I've always heard that a quail has to dust himself pretty often too, so some bare ground is necessary close to escape cover (which by the way we have no, repeat no, shortage of). I think the nesting habitat is where the problem lies. I have seen adult quail still paired up, and hens on the nest, as late as early September in eastern NC. This tells me that earlier nesting attempts failed. Birds should be at least half grown by Labor Day.
