Tragedy on the Farm

I love to go out late in the day and hear the killdeer's squawking call.  They will certainly get your attention.  We have quite a number of them that visit our pond to get a drink and maybe snack on an insect or two, so it is not unusual to see them around.  But, when I see one or two of them for several days in a row, running about on those thin little legs, I start looking for a nest.

Killdeer build their nest on the ground among gravel and rocks with little nesting material.  The nest and eggs are so cleverly disguised that you must look closely to find them.  Most of time, you can find the nest just by mama's desperate attempt to lure you away.  They will frequently use the "broken wing act" to distract anything that comes near their nests. If you've never seen it, their act involves the bird scurrying away from its nest holding its wing slightly askew to simulate an injury and then as you get closer to the nest, the flapping around on the ground increases and she begins emitting a dire distress call.  It is rather humorous to watch if it wasn't for the fact that you are actually terrorizing the poor bird whose only hope is that you will leave her baby eggs alone so she can return to keep them warm and continue the incubation process.


When the flailing about continues, most animal predators think they have an easy prey and are attracted to this seemingly poor little injured bird, but in reality, they are being lured away from the nest. If she sees that they are not following her and are getting closer to the nest, she will move back closer and get louder and louder until she gets their  attention. As the predator moves closer to her and away from the nest, she will cease her act and fly away.

I usually don't have too much trouble finding a nest, but I do walk carefully, so I don't inadvertently step on the little brown speckled eggs and destroy the very thing I hope to protect.  My biggest concern is when John starts up our John Deere yard mower.  The fragile nest can't handle the force created by the blades.  So it was last week, we had noticed mama killdeer running about near the top of the drive way, but thought I would give her a few days before going out to look for her new nest.  I'd even put the binoculars in the window sill so I could sneak a peek occasionally when I saw her up and about.

John came in and said, "I found her nest, she has two eggs.  It's right at the edge of the driveway."  Once he pointed, I immediately saw the little bird huddled on her nest.  At least she was not in a busy part of the drive, but still, the lawnmower will present a problem I thought.  But, as long as we knew she was there, we could be careful.  John managed cutting the lawn and mama returned to her nest.  All was well.

The next day, John alerts me that the chickens are near the nest and mama bird is in distress.  I immediately ran to get my camera.

I wanted to get photos of Henny Penny and Bo when they saw mama killdeer's big act.  Silly me. I didn't think about my chickens being a predator, but John did.  As I returned with my camera, John alerted me to Henny Penny's pecking.  "She going to peck the eggs," he said.  It took me a second to realize what he was saying.  I know chickens are called "yard buzzards" for a reason, they will eat anything,  But it didn't occur to me that my Henny Penny would peck the eggs, but she did.  I quickly rushed outside to protect the nest.  I could hear mama killdeer's distress call and she was flailing all around doing her best to lure the chickens away from her nest.  But by the time I arrived, it was too late.

Henny Penny had already destroyed the eggs.  I was heart broken, but there was nothing I could do but watch the mama killdeer valiantly working to get us all way from her little nest.  I shooed the chickens away and sadly went back in the house.  We watch as mama bird came back to see her family destroyed.  Then she flew away.

Later that day, when I was outside doing my daily walkabout, I heard the cry of the killdeer.  KILLDEER, KILLDEER, she squawked.  Maybe she will begin another nest soon.  It's still early spring.

PCQ