[obol] Re: Nesting Killdeer
- From: "Rie Luft" <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> (Redacted sender "glenn_rie@xxxxxxxxx" for DMARC)
- To: "jack.williamson.jr@xxxxxxxxx" <jack.williamson.jr@xxxxxxxxx>, OBOL Oregon Birders Online <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 31 Mar 2015 14:55:56 +0000 (UTC)
Wonderful story, Jack. We get several calls a year at Audubon with similar
situations and now I know a simpler solution!
Also Oaks Amusement Park one year had a nesting right in the middle of their
grass parking lot and asked me if they could move the eggs. Had them cordon a
small area off with 4 saw horses and here the "nest" remained and fledged -
neither disturbed by the periodic mowing of the grass nor by the parked cars
with front bumpers edged up to the saw horses. Wish I had taken a photo.
Reminded me of those scenes you see in Africa with safari vehicles surrounding
a cheetah in the middle of the Serengeti.
Rie Luft, Portland
On Monday, March 30, 2015 8:58 PM, Jack Williamson
<jack.williamson.jr@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
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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