I’m not nearly as blessed with wildlife as my brother, Glen, but I do have fun with the birds and critters that live in my yard.
I noticed a bird sitting right at the edge of our driveway. This is our driveway….
If you were to draw a line from the top fence post to the left and stop at a little brown dot at the edge of the driveway, you would find this….
Do you see her there? She’s right above the two green weeds. She has been there for several days and quietly moves away when we drive by and goes right back to this….
She is a killdeer and is so fascinating to watch. I couldn’t get a closer shot of her in the driveway because as soon as I got to within about 100 feet of her, she moved away from the nest. Here is some information about killdeers….
“The nest itself is merely a shallow depression or bowl in the ground, fringed by some stones and blades of grass. The precious nest is well camouflaged, as the spots of the eggs disguise them as stones, and the simple structure of the nest resembles its surroundings.Like many other waders, Killdeer hatchlings are precocial birds and are able to see and forage soon after hatching.”
“Their name comes from their frequently heard call. These birds will frequently use a distraction display ("broken-wing act") to distract predators from their nests. This involves the bird walking away from its nesting area holding its wing in a position that simulates an injury and then flapping around on the ground emitting a distress call. The predators then think they have easy prey and are attracted to this seemingly injured bird and away from the nest. If the parent sees that a potential predator is not following them, they will move closer and get louder until they get the attention of the predator. This is repeated until the predator is far from the nest, and the killdeer suddenly "heals" and flies away.” Wikipedia
And here she is doing just that very thing….
It took her over five minutes to go back to the nest even after I had moved back up to the house. I don’t want to disturb her anymore, but I'm hoping I get some shots of the babies. I have seen them around the yard before. They run along following her like little fluff balls.
I love to hear their call in the late evening.
15 comments:
This is a most interesting post. I've never heard of this bird before and it amazes me that they build thier nests on the ground. That seems so dangerous. You will have to keep us posted on her progress with the eggs.
That is amazing. She must trust you to build her nest at the end of your drive. I agree with Sharon, you have to let us know how everything turns out. Have a wonderful day!
Just a VERY interesting post--with photos! Thank you
How in the world have you avoided driving over those eggs?
Simply amazing! Thanks for sharing such a nature study!
Not an easy runway to take off for the future little ones though!
very cool...thanks for the info and pics of the killdear...think i might of mentioned earlier when you referenced but i had no clue...cool the nest is so close too...
Kinda like the quail we have here. In the past we've had nests in the yard and the mother would do the wounded bird trick like you described here. Once they hatch the mother gathers them all up and holds bootcamp for about 15 minutes teaching them how to follow her from one spot to another, hide under things - and stay hidden. If they stray off she's quick to chase them back in line and if they leave the cover she's after them immediately to get back under. And then she gets them to squeeze under the gate and they are gone, never to return to the nest. All this time the adult male is performing watch bird duties on the fence. -- Frosty1
We have Killdeer here but they like to stay by the water in the park. I like to watch them running around. I didn't know they built nests in rocks but your picture shows why. It looks a bit too close to the driveway. This was a fun and informative post.
Good observation...
Have a good day,
Greetings from France,
Pierre
a nest among the stones, you have such smart eyes!Amazing pictures!
hugs and happy weekend,
Léia
Share earth... ;-)
The pic of the eggs disguised in the rocks is exquisite. I have a special affinity for rocks and birds. This is the best of both!
I really like the Killdeer. They are a sure sign of spring here. They have nests in our pasture. Good shot of the nest and eggs. I like your brothers kitties. LOL
My computer is still broke and I have to use a friends so I cannot comment as much. MB
Regarding your question: A blockhouse is a sturdy built structure you go into when under attack and can shoot at whomever is attacking.Like a fort. Another pic on my other blog with gun holes. So there!!! MB
How interesting! I've never seen a killdeer before. The eggs do resemble the rocks on the ground. I hope you get to see the babies running around.
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