Steve took this photo on May 15 of last year. We had seen an adult killdeer running around the pasture and when we got to one area, she ran away faking a broken wing, as killdeers will do when protecting a nest. We went in the opposite direction she was leading and eventually found a well-camouflaged nest on the ground.
At first it had only brown speckled eggs. We fenced off the area so the horses wouldn't step on them. A week or so later, the eggs hatched. The chicks stayed in the nest only a couple of days. (According to Wikipedia, the eggs have more nourishment than most bird species, allowing the chicks to hatch later, at a stage of development similar to 2 weeks old in other birds. This allows them to leave the nest quickly and begin foraging for themselves.) 
We saw the chicks running around the field for weeks afterward. The babies grew quickly and were soon almost indistinguishable in size from the parents.
To see more cute camera critters, click here.
I think Killdeer chicks are about the cutest baby birds anywhere. I have only seen pictures of them.
ReplyDeleteAhhhh...so cute:)
ReplyDeleteDidn't know what a killdeer was until I just googled it. Beautiful birds:)
ReplyDeletethat is lovely. the image and the info.
ReplyDeleteI found all four! Too wonderful!
ReplyDeleteCool pictue. I didn't know any of that about Killdeers. TFS
ReplyDeleteWhat a treat to watch their growth.
ReplyDeleteSo cute.
How adorable. I did wonder what I was going to see under 'Killdeer Nest'! lol
ReplyDeleteThat's an amazing photo and yes, I can see four little beaks :-)
ReplyDeleteThey are so cute, what a great photo!
ReplyDeleteWhile walking one of my dogs (and of course Ringo was with us) down our road earlier today, I saw two pairs of killdeer. One pair was well hidden in the grass and only flew away when Ringo was practically on top of them. I looked in the grass for a nest, but didn't see any.
these chicks are so wonderful! Love your skywatch flora and views as well.
ReplyDeleteI love Killdeers we have lots of them here in OK. We are always afraid of accidently stepping on the eggs so generally we just get out of the area.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, we had to enlarge the picture to discern the little birds!
ReplyDeleteJanie: Neat photo and what a great job of camouflage.
ReplyDeleteI have to google killdeer to find out how it looks like! So cute chickens, and so nice to read you have protected them from the horses!
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by!
I've never understood the logic of the Killdeer nests, but it seems to work. I also think the little ones are among the cutest birds around.
ReplyDeletewhat a wonderful post to read today.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. I don't recall ever having seen one before, so did the google search like the others. So fortunate you found the nest and could protect it.
ReplyDeleteI never knew they hatched advanced. I just love Killdeer and am anxious to find some this year! Lucky you! HOpe they come back for you!
ReplyDelete