Killdeer nest with 3 eggs

I helped a friend out yesterday with a bird survey he was involved in in southern Delaware (okay, I admit it - I was actually looking forward to it, so it wasn't really that big a favor). Toward the end of a rather rainy day, we headed up one last road to see what we could find. It wasn't until we were turning to leave that Joe and I saw the Killdeer doing her famous 'broken wing' dance.

It was then that Joe saw the nest smack in the middle of the road. Nervous that the eggs might get run over, we made (at my insistence) 2 small cairns about 5' feet on either side of the nest to provide notice to anyone driving to stay in the already made ruts in the road. And if the rangers come and see the piles, THEY'LL know to make whatever arrangements are necessary.

Still, I had to get a shot of these very cool eggs.

Read more about the day on my blog.