Dangerous Killdeer Nest

After 40 minutes I drowsily awoke to the calls of a pair of Killdeer flying overhead. As I got out of my Jeep to visit Starbucks for a pick-me-up, I noticed a Killdeer on the median dividing the car parking lot from the truck lot entrance. As you can see from the image above, it was a stone filled median and perfect “habitat” for a Killdeer nest.

As I watched, the bird settled into a nesting position. She blended perfectly with the stones. I slowly grabbed my camera from the back seat and rested my elbow on the hood of my Jeep. But before I could fire off a shot, a truck rumbled by, then another, then another. With the first truck, the bird stood up and began to wander away from the “nest.” As I photographed it, more trucks passed. The Killdeer moved further and further away.

I walked over to where the bird had settled into the stones, and found a small divot that had been neatly cleared. It was about 4 inches across and less than 2 inches deep. It is difficult to see in the image above as there were no eggs yet, but it was definitely a purposeful indentation.

I wonder if the Killdeer decided to move on to a quieter location or if it will actually lay eggs and try to raise young in such a dangerous location. If it were not so long a drive I would have enjoyed keeping tabs on the progress!