These birds are often heard, but seldom seen. I took this photo quickly with a wide-angle lens at about 50 yards, so it is not very good.
) in a Maryville restaurant parking lot from my car window. They were just far enough away that I couldn't get them in sharp focus. Killdeers lay their eggs on the ground, often among gravel. The parents will feign injury, dragging a wing as they run away from the nest to distract predators. The babies are precocious, they can run not long after hatching. The birds are named for their distinctive "kill-deer" call.
This poor female Kildeer was quite upset because her nest with 4 eggs was very close to the resting area for the Ithaca Rowing team during the 2007 NCAA Women's Rowing Championships. Kildeers nest on the ground, so they often have problems with humans, animals and cars! This picture was taken through a chainlink fence.
