Killdeer Chicks and Blueberry Threats

Of course this was the morning that I forgot my good camera, when I could have gotten great pictures of a mama killdeer rescuing her chicks from a big, bad threat.

Mike and I were picking blueberries, deep in the bushes that we inherited with our farm purchase a year ago.  (36 gallons of berries gathered so far.)  I was down on my low stool, getting the hidden gems at the bottom, when I heard our resident killdeer make her characteristic “che-ee” sound from the old garden area to our left.  She must have been teaching her chicks to spread their wings a little, because this was quite distant from their usual home in the woods and water hole near the entrance of the property.  But now she had detected peril.  Two tall creatures were in the blueberry bushes, and too close for comfort! One was even wearing a floppy hat!  This was dangerous.  She continued her noises, worked on a plan, and stayed close to protect her chicks.

Mike made his own human version of the “che-ee” sound, which must have worked, because as I continued collecting low-hanging berries, I could hear the mama moving toward us, but coming in a wide arc around the bushes and at a safe distance away. And following her, here came the three chicks making much lighter and softer sounds.  When I stood up I could see two of the little ones had made it to the gravel to my right, heading with determination for home and stopping every second or so, the way killdeer move when they’re checking out their surroundings.  And Mama was alongside on the low deck beside them, chaperoning their travel.

But trouble was brewing.  The third chick got turned around, and instead of heading for home, was moving straight toward the wall of the barn instead.  Mama was worried.  Her cheeping sounds got louder and more intense.  

And then, even as his siblings were approaching safety, the stray chick got even more confused, getting behind the four-wheeler instead of turning toward home. Mama was not leaving him.  Her calls got more urgent, doing everything possible to get him going in the right direction.  We kept picking berries, but the unfolding sight was too interesting to ignore.

Finally, success.  Mama slowly got the little one turned in the right direction.  The two ran with their typical intermittent killdeer motion across the deck, properly pointed toward the watering hole.  They scooted across the gravel and made it to the woods.  The silence told us that Mama was no longer upset and that all three babies had made it to safety from those big, bad, blueberry-picking threats.

The killdeer were safe and happy.  We got two more gallons of berries.  Even if the camera did get left at home, it was a good morning.