[obol] Nesting Killdeer
- From: Jack Williamson <jack.williamson.jr@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: OBOL Oregon Birders Online <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 31 Mar 2015 03:57:44 +0000
Jill and I came across two Killdeer actively excavating a shallow
depression on the side of gravel path last Thursday morning while we were
on taking our daily walk. It was astonishing to us to find that the
Killdeer had selected a site so close to a high-traffic pedestrian path to
build their nest. The area is one where dogs often out number people. We
checked the depression at random intervals over the next few days to watch
the progress. But by Saturday, the bicycle tracks and foot prints within
inches of the depression assured us the Killdeer had made a good decision
and moved on.
That experience peeked my curiosity and lead me to a look for Killdeer on a
nearby community garden and private farm where I remembered finding them
last year. After I discovered a (third) nest on the property which was
clearly in the path of incoming community gardeners, I decided to see if I
could recruit someone qualified to help me cordon off the area to protect
the nest. The embarrassing part of this post is that a non-birding expert
gardener tutored me in all things about nesting Killdeer; complete with
accurate definitions of (precocial) and (nidifugous) which I ran home to
verify. A great lady - who quickly but graciously rode over me, the obvious
neophyte with respect to providing protection for nesting ground birds.
When I first approached her with my dilemma - she said "If you'll show me
the nest, I'll show you how put a barrier around it". My initial reaction
was really, since I was thinking we needed to restrict access to within at
least 20 sq. yards, and that would take awhile if it was going to be done
right without disturbing the parents.
One minute later, my new best friend had five short stakes in her hand
along with a very short roll of flagging tape. She tended to the nest with
such maternal care that one of the Killdeer actually approached within just
a few feet to watch her without demonstration - a reaction that was in
stark contrast to their reaction I suffered earlier by simply taking a
photograph of the eggs when I thought both adults were off the nest
foraging.
When I asked if the cordoned area was large enough to protect the nest -
she replied "this is way larger than I normally provide - and I typically
have to do this twice a year for each pair of Killdeer. When nests are
right in the middle of the path we just put a small flag in proximity to
the nest to help people avoid stepping on the eggs". Most nests fledge all
four young. Go figure . . . . .
http://www.jack-n-jill.net/blog/2015/3/nesting-killdeer
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