Eric Zetterholm found this juvenile Bald Eagle drinking water, or perhaps looking for a fish, at the Gualala River. Behind him or her is a Killdeer on the riverbank.
Thanks to Eric for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
Sunny and very breezy this afternoon!
Karen Wilkinson wrote, “I get excited over all shorebirds, but the Killdeer are such fun little birds with some rather peculiar behaviors. The injured wing defense is the one most birders talk about, but their ‘dancing in the sand or ‘fishing with their feet’ are my official favorites.
I'm wondering what's really going on when they're doing this. I was 'belly in the sand' trying not to spook them after they flew in above me, as I was focused on watching a Spotted Sandpiper. It took a while, but I could hardly believe my luck as they started coming straight towards me.
I'm still going through the 1200 plus photos I took, but I thought you might enjoy seeing the video, just looking back on it cracks me up!” I too wonder what this Killdeer is doing with his feet. Maybe you know?
Thanks to Karen for allowing me to share her photos and video with you here.
brrr, it's cold and cloudy with rain due to arrive mid-afternoon. Tomorrow is supposed to be very stormy, another river-of-rain event. Bring it, Mother Nature!
Sara Bogard was charmed by this sight - a group of Killdeer in the new labyrinth installed on the grounds of the Point Arena Lighthouse.
Killdeer are graceful plovers, and they are shorebirds that often can be found away from the shore. I always enjoy seeing these beautiful birds. Thanks to Sara for allowing me to share her photo with you here.
To learn more about the new labyrinth, here is the link: https://www.pointarenalighthouse.com/museum/
Just scroll down the page to find the information on the labyrinth. I haven't walked it yet, but I look forward to doing that soon. I did spend some time on the bluffs of the Lighthouse a few days ago, sitting socially distant from whale experts, Scott and Tree Mercer. We spotted two groups of Gray Whales, migrating southward. The Mercers are seeing large numbers of migrating whales this week.
It's rainy here today, with much more coming in on Tuesday. Bring it, Mother Nature!
Jerry Rudy discovered a nest of Killdeer eggs in a meadow behind his home in Timber Cove. They are truly hidden in plain sight.
You can see how the Killdeer mother chose a spot that closely resembled her eggs. Here's a photo of an adult Killdeer next to its eggs, which was taken by Rich Perry.
Killdeer often lay their eggs this time of year in gravel riverbeds, as Rich's photo shows. That's one of the very good reasons to never drive in a river like the Gualala River.
Thanks to Jerry and Rich for allowing me to share their photos with you here.