The eggs began to hatch around mid-day on June 7, and on that first day, all four chicks stayed close to their mother -- or father; it's hard to tell the sexes apart. The next day, they ventured out a bit more. Here, you have to look carefully to spot the camouflaged chick at lower left.
The chicks stay in the egg longer than other birds, but come out more ready to fend for themselves. They're a lot cuter, too!
This chick seems comfortable in front of the camera. . .
. . .but quickly decides it'd rather be back with its mother.The killdeer family stayed only a little longer in our yard before moving on. After four weeks of getting used to having the adults around, we miss them -- it's hard not to get attached to the devoted parents and the cute little chicks. If one of them comes back to set up another nest, we'll let you know!
You can learn more about killdeer at these sites: Environment Canada and Birdwatching.comDigital photography: Thanks again to Jack F. Grover and that marvelous Sony Mavica; both courtesy of Visual Sound.
Also see Jack's photos of his pride-and-joy collies at Keystone Collie Club.