A Plover named Killdeer

Killdeers are graceful plovers that get their name from the wailing shrill kill-deer sound they make. Unlike other shorebirds you can spot Killdeers in a variety of places ranging from parking lots to golf courses. Usually the killdeers run around on the ground darting from place to place checking their progress and searching for any insects that they may have scared up.

The Killdeer above was photographed on Jetty Island as he ran around very close to where I set my camera up next to an old log on the edge of a pond during low tide. Un-aware of my presence I was able to capture to my delight some really great close ups of the Killdeer as he went about the daily routine.

Killdeers are proficient swimmers even though they prefer to occupy dry habitats. Their nests are shallow depressions scratched into the ground and start off bare and once there are eggs they add material around the nest. This leads me to discuss some interesting behavior that killdeers exhibit if you get too close to their nesting area. If you see a killdeer and it is moving around as if is wing is broken, then likely there is nothing wrong with it and you should watch your step. These little actors put on this act to lure predators away from their eggs. To view more photos of my outing view my Killdeer Gallery.