The Baby Killdeer

While walking along the beach at the camp ground this past weekend I suddenly saw a flurry of motion at my feet, stopping me dead in my tracks.I narrowed my eyes, considering the possibility that I was losing my mind and simply was seeing things. I quickly tossed aside that notion when something scurried across my path again.

Definitely not losing it. This time.

I stood still for a while, waiting to see what exactly what was scurrying.

When things “scurry” I need to make sure they aren’t mice.

A mouse would mean that I would be standing in one spot, possibly crying sad/mad tears as my feet froze to the ground, until someone came to get me and told me that bad mouse was gone.

I have mice issues. Not much scares me, excepting mice. There’s a long but short story that involved my old mini-van, a nest and three deer mice.

I just about cried typing that.

However this day I didn’t have to cry as I soon discovered that I had three beautiful, fluffy baby killdeer running around my feet!

I quickly called my daughter and son over to see these little darlings who were busy running around not listening to their killdeer mother in the slightest.

Three of these babies running in three different directions.

I have nothing but great admiration for mother killdeer after watching these little devils.

One of them actually remembered what his Mama told him and dropped to the ground to hide.

What a smart little baby killdeer. Your Mama must be so proud!

This however, gave us the chance to study him while he hid – good thing we weren’t coyotes studying our next meal – and I must admit, I had to fight my daughter tooth-and-nail.

No, we aren’t bringing him home.

No, he’s not lost from his mama. He’s hiding until we leave.

No, you can’t touch him.

No, you can’t touch him.

No, you can’t touch him.

We soon left him alone to run back to his Mama and proceeded to find the next baby. This one had no problem running amok right beside us.

“Hey baby killdeer, do those legs go all the way up?”

He he he.

Don’t quit your day job, Karlynn.

Wait. This IS my day job….

So between the endless repetitions of  “Can I take him home'” and the “Can I JUST PLEASE TOUCH HIM MOMMY OH MY GOD PLEASE HE’S JUST SO CUTE” we finally managed to get away from the babies – untouched I might add- and started walking back.

I was amused to see that once we were gone, they listened to their killdeer mother no better than they did when we were on the path. Now that we were gone, one headed back towards us, one went to the water’s edge and the other one was running up the path away from us.

Ah, children. Bird or human, neither listen to their parents.

Thanks for stopping in!

Love,

Karlynn