Not exactly in the same class of 'wildlife' as the osprey and cougars, but still fun ....
I've been having fun watching one of the killdeer that hang around the ranch where I board. This is a regular boarding facility, mind you, but it is pretty open, and the killdeer seem to love it. They aren't too bright, though. One has laid eggs on the gravel / asphalt driveway where some of the trailers are parked. She laid the eggs in front of one of the trailer spaces. The ranch owner has placed a big orange traffic cone there, and surrounded the eggs (no nest, just eggs in a depression in the loose asphalt) with a circle of rocks. This is her second clutch of the season -- she hatched the first clutch in the same place.
Due to traffic congestion at the ranch, the spot right next to her was the only place I had to park my trailer last week. It was a whole lot of fun trying to back my trailer into place, and miss the nest. Mama was sitting on the eggs at the time. The truck and trailer didn't bother her a bit, but she wasn't happy about my walking around trying to unhitch. By the time I was done, though, she had settled down a quite a bit. After I trailer out this weekend, I'll try and find a different spot to park. :)
On Jun 18, 2009, at 7:22 AM, Barbara McCrary wrote:
One of my great pleasures was to be scolded by an Osprey who was guarding her nest.
