Killdeer almost "kills" a driveway

[jdmar]

Just a funny occurrence. I was moving part of my gravel drive to better allow a turn-around at the top and finish some landscaping walls and steps to my home. My wonderful 6 year old son allerted me to the fact that a killdeer had made its nest in the drive and had 4 eggs. NO WAY am I going to run them over with a dozer or tractor and hurt my son's feelings. I like to hunt, but I am not hurting an animal for no reason at all.

That killdeer sat on her nest with a dozer turning less than 24 INCHES away! I have included a photo of the tractor next to the "nest." That is not foreshortened...the tractor really is about 24-36 inches away. The small ridge of stone is where the dozer tracks mounded up some gravel while turning--only about 24" from the nest.

I've got to have respect for the bird so dedicated to taking care of her eggs. It is always neet when they hatch. Killdeer are born just like tiny adults with looong legs. They can run around almost right away..but not fly for a while.

My driveway is now moved 4-8 feet from where it was....except for a 4' by 4' area that holds that nest! Just thought I would share this with you. If interested I will try to get a photo of the drive with its 4' bump-out.

Peter

 

[billbill1]

We had a pair hatch out 4 youngin's in our garden this spring. The hen would get in your case and seemed like she would fight you if you pressed her. Yes, the babies are cute and can fly within a few days of hatching. The pick a nest on our yard evey year and I avoid them if I know where the nest is. I've had them nest in the gravel a couple of times, the eggs are very hard to locate as they blend in with the surroundings so well.

 

[Egon]

Out on the play farm I've had to bypass tilling an area several years as I knew there was a killdeer nest there but could never find it.

 

[ray66v]

Since you guy's seem to like them so much, can I send you mine?

 

[JoeinTX]

Killdeers are some of the most characteristic and most defensive birds you will find. Very obtuse and unabashed when it comes to their territory or hunting. Their "broken wing" trick still gets me and lets me know that I'm getting too close to a nest even if I can't find it so I just ease on back and let 'em be.


We've had at least two nesting pair take to our gravel driveway for years now and we're always watching to make sure we avoid their nests.

I know, I know......I'm just a softy but....

 

[Dyer retired]

I had a Robin's nest with 4 hatchlings in it, in an area I was clearing. The good news is that it's only 8 days or so from hatching to being out of the nest, so I'm back clearing the area around the abandoned nest. The local JD/Kubota dealer had a Killdeer nest under a landscape rake out in their yard....they avoided the area until the babies were hatched and gone.

 

[jinman]

Great story and pictures Peter. Bravo for you!

 

[have_blue]

NO WAY am I going to run them over with a dozer or tractor and hurt my son's feelings. I like to hunt, but I am not hurting an animal for no reason at all.

One time I hired a dozer to clear some land. I was on my tractor compacting the trees for burning, when I saw a nighthawk on her nest. I carefully avoided her, and went about my business. Then the dozer operator started frantically waving to get my attention. I jumped down to talk with him, and he had spotted the bird too, and pointed her out to me. So it seems that guys are universally sensitive about motherhood of any kind.

Incidentally, nighthawks are related to whip-poor-will's, and are sometimes called "bull bats". That's because sometimes they fly at dusk, and do a territorial flight that includes diving at high speed until their long wings flutter loudly, sounding like a bellowing bull.

 

[Renze]

Killdeers are some of the most characteristic and most defensive birds you will find. Very obtuse and unabashed when it comes to their territory or hunting. Their "broken wing" trick still gets me and lets me know that I'm getting too close to a nest even if I can't find it so I just ease on back and let 'em be.

After seeing the characteristic eggs of what we call a kievit here in the Netherlands, i was wondering. But after you described the broken wing trick, the killdeer is unmistakenly what we call a kievit in the Netherlands !!

There are a lot of them here, and they are protected. There are organisations that place their nest in a GPS map so farmers can avoid the nests with GPS equipped machinery.
OThers place small flags near the nests so farmers can avoid them: that wasnt helpfull at all, once foxes "got it" and went after every flag to find the nearby nest..... Foxes took more eggs than farm machinery and grazing animals.

You can move their nest, but not more than a few yard a day. This way farmers have moved their nest to the fencerow, where farming practice doesnt harm them.

 

[JoeinTX]

I looked up a "kievit" out of curiosity and while it and the killdeer may be related somehow, they are not the same bird.

killdeer:

http://l.yimg.com/g/images/spaceball.gif


kievit:

http://www.pbase.com/richard2051/kievit