A few pictures from this week

[flowerbug]

Killdeer nesting in the back garden and in the front garden. The ones in the back fenced garden are pretty tame and have been here for several years. They don't make much noise and the Mom will stand right by her nest or over her eggs if i walk by:

A spring tulip picture:

Some froggies playing leap frog:

Ferns starting to grow in the limestone mulch:

 

[thistlebloom]

That Killdeer is really special. I have always really liked those birds, the way they will lure you away from their nest and the call they make.
I wonder how the young survive to continue on when they hatch in a rock nest. Seems so vulnerable.

 

[flowerbug]

That Killdeer is really special. I have always really liked those birds, the way they will lure you away from their nest and the call they make.
I wonder how the young survive to continue on when they hatch in a rock nest. Seems so vulnerable.

they are not there long - one to two days and they are off and running.


i have other pictures at (some where i've caught the eggs hatching):

http://www.anthive.com/project/killdeer/

 

[digitS']

The killdeer babies are cute little things. I wish that the parents had better sense about car traffic in the road!

It doesn't seem to matter how many of the chicks the ones near the garden start off with. I never see those that are half-grown.

Great pictures, FlowerBug!

Steve

 

[thistlebloom]

Those are great photos, FB! So interesting to see them hatching. There are Killdeer along our gravel road that run along in front of me feigning injury, so I must have been close to a nest but have never seen eggs, much less hatchlings. Thanks for sharing that.

 

[flowerbug]

The killdeer babies are cute little things. I wish that the parents had better sense about car traffic in the road!

It doesn't seem to matter how many of the chicks the ones near the garden start off with. I never see those that are half-grown.

Great pictures, FlowerBug!

Steve

t.y. i've never been able to get pictures of the young, they appear like miniature adults pretty quickly. i have only seen them running around our yard/gardens once or twice (in the 22+yrs) and then they are off to the surrounding fields. this year with everything being so late i'm worried they may just all get run over by farm equipment.

 

[flowerbug]

Those are great photos, FB! So interesting to see them hatching. There are Killdeer along our gravel road that run along in front of me feigning injury, so I must have been close to a nest but have never seen eggs, much less hatchlings. Thanks for sharing that.

they have so much character. i've sat and watched them for hours at times and sometimes they'll trade head bobs with me.

thank you Thistle.

 

[flowerbug]

this is an old pic i ran across today so i put it on my cloud web page to go along with the rest:

 

[ninnymary]

You need to submit that second picture as the POW. It is beautiful.

Thanks for posting. Never heard of them.

Mary

 

[flowerbug]

You need to submit that second picture as the POW. It is beautiful.

Thanks for posting. Never heard of them.

Mary

i'm not sure which picture (birdie standing up over her nest or the clouds)? thank you and you're welcome.

they are not city birds, they like an area of open space to put their nests in and for foraging, the range map for them shows them in California all year. often they can be found along the beach or on some flats.