For several years now, a pair of kildeer birds have laid eggs and raised their young on the gravel drive at my daughter’s farm. We have all watched with interest as the birds choose a spot on the gravel, sometimes in the way of heavy machinery, and lay their eggs. The eggs are so well camouflaged that they are difficult to see. The parent birds take turns sitting on the nest, right out in the open, although they are well-camouflaged, too. If we, or a predator get too close to the nest, the birds fly toward the predator to lure them away from the eggs. The birds will also pretend to be hurt, dragging one wing in an effort to look l injured. In this way the parent birds protect their eggs and young chicks. There are five cats on the farm and last year the kildeer eggs and chicks stayed safe, so the adult methods of protection must work! My daughter and her family use larger stones to mark where the kildeer nest is so that they don’t disturb it by mistake. It is great for the kids to observe nature right in their own farmyard!
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