In 2011, I provided updates for two nesting pairs of Killdeer. So far this spring, one pair is nesting on the property where I work. Though this pair selected a site that is a safe distance from the warehouse entrance and courier traffic, it's not without danger. Last week while working in the warehouse part of the building, I could hear the rumble of the lawn cutting crew outside. Hmmm. Sounds like they have started cutti...Killdeer! Though it was not confirmed, it was apparent the pair were incubating eggs. Right along the edge where the ornamental rocks end and the grass begins.
When I emerged outside, I could see a freshly mowed path along the edge and no Killdeer. I approached the nesting site expecting to see broken eggs. Somehow, the wheels and cutting blades of the lawnmower missed the four eggs sitting in a shallow depression between rocks 2 to 3 times larger in size. All was fine and I alerted the lawn maintenance worker of the existing nest.
Today, I placed pieces of cinder block on both sides of the nest to mark its location. Crisis averted and updates to continue.
