I was about the business of killing weeds this morning when I came upon this little Mama bird. You have to look hard to see her as she blends well with her surroundings. She eyed me as I approached, but didn't back down. She watched my every move and I kept my distance so I wouldn't spook her. He who thinks he knows all says she is what they call a "deer kill". What? Or maybe a "kill deer". He is not sure and can't tell me why they are called that. I asked. I wondered if they eat dead deer, because I doubt they actually kill deer (or deers, as some folks around here are apt to say).
Anybody know what kind of bird this is. Yes, I know I could consult the Internet. I confess that I am lazy.
I hunted for her eggs after she walked away. They are good sized and gray, speckled black. Looks like she gathered some wood chips, but that is the only cushioning for them. They are in the gravel on the dump station. I hope they hatch this week.
I would hate to seem them squashed by a big rig, or worse, deliberately destroyed by some evil
doers. Such seem to come out on holiday weekends.
The text seems to have a mind of its own here.
Never mind, I have work to do!
16 comments:
i hope they hatch as well instead of being messed with...
Kildeer Plover. pronounced 'kildee'. They nest on the ground as you discovered. I think they are endangered. It's what our illustrious ex-VP Dick Cheney shot when he went dove hunting.
K this makes me sad because I think some evil doer will destroy them before they hatch :o(
Maybe you need to make a birdie security gate around them ;o)
Much as I would love to erect a fence around them, I can't. It would be in the way of people who need to use the dump station. I am afraid to relocate them, afraid Mama would then abandon them. Only thing I can do is hope for the best. I don't want to draw attention to them either, in case some survivalist might be out of eggs ....
Oh, and Ellen, what would you expect from someone who shot his friend? Maybe they should be checking the workings of his head rather than his heart ...
Yup. That's a Killdeer and they are not endangered (however, their cousins the Mountain Plover and Piping Plover are a different story).
What a find! Killdeer are precocial so they will be on the run as soon as their feathers are dried from hatching.
The incubation period is 22 -28 days unfortunately but HOPEFULLY, you found the nest towards the end of its incubation time.
We have them here by us in NE Ohio. They love to nest in the gravel berm of our rural road. Or right out in all the gravel area around our barn. Most folks on the road are careful of them. I wish all were.
I've never seen one. Their eggs look like granite.
Put up a protection around them and a warning sign ~ maybe that will help!!!If they are endangered then it is definately the thing to do!!!
Have a great holiday weekend and protect those babies
Donna
I was wrong. It wasn't Cheney who shot the kildeer when dove hunting. It was our ex-President Bush.
We have them out here too.
Sure I hope they will hatch well!
Take care
Kisses and hugs
Lorenza
I also hope they hatch and if they do I hope you get a picture of them so we can see what they look like once they have hatched
The thing I really like about killdeer is the way they will pretend to have a broken limb and lead you away from their nests on the ground. I have seen them lure cats or dogs away by pretending to be hurt, then flying away when the predator gets too close.
She was standing her ground and would have limped away if you had stepped closer, but why the hell she laid the eggs where she did......
Do you have any chicken wire to put around the perimeter??
I sure hope you don't have youngsters due to rent nearby. They can be worse than coyotes. lol
And as for the name, they're named after the sound they make.
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