The Daily Bucket is a place to catch your casual observations of the natural world and turn them into a valuable resource. Whether it's the first flowers of spring or that odd bug in your basement, don't be afraid to toss your thoughts into the bucket. Check here for a more complete description.
So It's been a while since I've posted or commented in here; work has kept me pretty busy as of late. I will be out of the country and likely away from the Series of Tubes for a few days later this week, so I thought I'd share Monday's backyard encounter.**
Now, this observation of nature does not come from my personal backyard. However, I did encounter a lady killdeer in the yard behind the building in which I work this morning, as below.
This mama was apparently guarding her new nest.
Now, if you've never encountered a killdeer and you live in a shore environment, or other waystop on their migratory route north or south, you've likely heard their warning call, or something similar as they are a member of the plover family. It's pretty distinctive and does make you take notice: I was just ambling my way down the hill from our rear parking lot, looking down and not paying much attention, when I heard this warning call when about five-feet away from the young lady in question. Killdeer, if you don't know, often employ a "broken wing" defense, in which they fake a broken limb to draw predators away form their nest. The mama killdeer did this for me when I came upon her, and I wish I had a photo of it. Anyway, killdeer, like several bird species, tend to try to distract those they see as intruding upon their nest by making a ruckus away from their nest to disguise the true location of the nest. I still couldn't figure out where this nest was, and I'm pretty sure she wasn't sitting right on top of it.
Mama killdeer staring menacingly.
Anyway, what are you seeing around your backyard today?
**I am not an ornithologist, nor even a bird watcher. I merely like to watch nature at work.