Well it’s finally happened, the babies have arrived. The past few weeks we’ve had a mother killdeer running a little maternity ward right here in our parking lot. They just dig a little hole right in the gravel, don’t build a nest like most birds do.

I’d been checking on her about every day and when I looked a couple days back she had two little ones hatched out of the four eggs and another one looked to be breaking out. All four finally hatched and they’re gone from the nest now. They fledge real fast, being ground nesting birds, the little ones are on their feet and running around within a few days. The babies are marked up just like the adults but are tiny, not much bigger than a fat bumblebee. The little ones look comical, they remind me of a grey cotton ball with long skinny legs when you see them running around.

The hen kept me entertained for days. Whenever I’d go out to check on her she’d put on the big show of having a broken wing trying to draw me off. As many times as I’d looked in on her you’d think she’d get used to it but it was the same acting job every time.

Feel free to send any gifts for the new mother via us here at The Scout Patch Auction and we’ll make sure she gets them. I’d imagine boxes of crickets or a tub of fishing worms would be much appreciated.

Destry