A Fearless Mother

Killdeer are notorious for building their nests in areas of high human traffic. This strategy seems to work; killdeer are very common and successful.

This bird pictured below has scraped out her nest in the middle of a community garden where folks go every day. I checked it out last Friday and could see how the little birds see no problem building where they do. This mother bird was fearless, coming right up to within inches of my feet to drive me away.

The flared tail and drooped wings give the impression the bird is injured; an ingenious ploy to lure predators away from the site. After just a few seconds I walked away, being escorted by the parent leading me right out the gate.

Here is a close-up of the four eggs, perfectly camouflaged if they were on a gravel substrate, which they often are. This nest scrape is in a mulch / wood chip mixture.

Here's profile a shot of an adult bird.