DIdn't fool me
Apr 26, 2023 06:01:28 #
Kildeer lay their eggs on the ground. Because of this when sense a predator in the area they will act injured to cause the predator to think they have an easy meal. They then flop around leading the predator away from the "nest". When the predator is far enough away the bird then just flies off like nothing is wrong.
As soon as I saw her flopping around I knew there had to be a nest nearby. It took a few minutes to find it, you can probably tell why when you see the photo of the eggs.
Shot at our local library parking lot.
As soon as I saw her flopping around I knew there had to be a nest nearby. It took a few minutes to find it, you can probably tell why when you see the photo of the eggs.
Shot at our local library parking lot.
"Injured" parent bird.
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Eggs. Shot at closest focus point of Canon 100-400 L. I should have stopped down a couple of f stops for better DOF. This I believe was f/5.6
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I waited away from the nest for the parent to return. She or he is now on the eggs.
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Small overview of the parking area. Kildeer is about at the center of the frame.
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Apr 26, 2023 06:42:41 #
Apr 26, 2023 06:43:09 #
I've been thinking about the kildeer since I heard one recently and described it to my wife. So amazing that, even with bushes nearby, they will lay their eggs on rocks on the ground! Then, that broken wing routine; so different a philosophy of nest-making and dealing with predators than other birds in the area. Great photos! I'll show them to my wife. (She's not from the US, and is still discovering things about the flora and fauna here.)
Apr 26, 2023 06:43:26 #
The chicks are funny- they look like a cotton ball and their legs move so quick, you can't see them. It looks like they are floating around an inch above the ground.
Apr 26, 2023 07:25:17 #
Apr 26, 2023 07:26:25 #
ELNikkor wrote:
I've been thinking about the kildeer since I heard one recently and described it to my wife. So amazing that, even with bushes nearby, they will lay their eggs on rocks on the ground! Then, that broken wing routine; so different a philosophy of nest-making and dealing with predators than other birds in the area. Great photos! I'll show them to my wife. (She's not from the US, and is still discovering things about the flora and fauna here.)
Thank you. I hope to get back when they hatch in 3 or 4 weeks. Maybe I'll get lucky and get some photos of the chicks.
Apr 26, 2023 07:28:52 #
tradio wrote:
The chicks are funny- they look like a cotton ball and their legs move so quick, you can't see them. It looks like they are floating around an inch above the ground.
Thanks tradio. Your comment made me look into their incubation period, 22-28 days. Friday there was just 1 egg, Tuesday there were 3 so I'll try to get back in the next 3 or 4 weeks and maybe I'll get some photos of the chicks.
Apr 26, 2023 07:41:14 #
Beautifully done, both the photos and telling of the shoot. Hard to understand how laying eggs on the ground hasn’t resulted in their extinction as a species.
Apr 26, 2023 07:52:49 #
Apr 26, 2023 08:15:31 #
joehel2 wrote:
Beautifully done, both the photos and telling of the shoot. Hard to understand how laying eggs on the ground hasn’t resulted in their extinction as a species.
Thank you Joe. They lay their eggs where they have a 360° view to see any approaching predators, then they do the broken wing routine. I think their biggest risk here is that someone will step on the eggs without seeing them. I don't know why people walk across the rocks but they do. Good way to twist or even break an ankle in my opinion
Apr 26, 2023 08:16:17 #
Apr 26, 2023 10:04:06 #
Apr 26, 2023 10:53:21 #
Apr 26, 2023 12:08:28 #
Apr 26, 2023 13:13:13 #
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