Killdeer have got to be my favorite bird in the Midwest. They seemed to take a liking to our big lawn out front this last Summer, and this year, they returned to nest.
I LOVE watching them walk. They remind me of the sandpipers (which they are related to)that I loved at the beach when we lived in California. The gulls were pesky, but the sandpipers were absolutely amusing and industrious, scanning the beaches for new sanddabs and such that were left behind from the last wave, and running out of the way as soon as another wave announced it's presence.
There is just something about the way they move...their little bodies with their incredibly long legs just scurrying anywhere they go. It seems impossible that their legs could move so fast, especially since the rest of their body is incredibly erect and still.
And the babies....oh my goodness, adorable little replicas of their parents. This morning the killdeer were cavorting about on my driveway as I brought the dog out, and I all at once one of the parents let out a loud "KEEE" and both parents looked for both of their babies and called them into closer proximity. I wonder if the one parent would've faked the broken wing that they are famous for, should Scully have approached any closer. That would be something to see.
2 comments:
You brought back memories of visiting a member's dairy farm in WI. It was my first exposure to a Killdeer. Of course, I said, 'awwww, what's the matter with that poor bird?" Silly city girl : )
great photo! I saw one of those when I was out walking... we are staying with some friends in the midwest!
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