We went to our community garden plot today, loaded with baby plants from Saturday Market. But I was immediately distracted by a bird who I couldn't identify. I was excited and took a few photos, and intended to get out my bird field guide the moment we got home.

We listened to the bird calling, as we tooled around the garden. Weeds to kill, you know, and lemon cucumbers to plant. We were on the downhill side of working and I decided to replant the cauliflower and beet seeds, since nothing was showing up from my first planting.

I was kneeling down, making a line in the dirt, and the bird, who was still hanging around, started coming at me! I recognized her antics... she was pretending that she was hurt, to lead me away from her nest. But she was getting so incredibly close, I could almost touch her she was so close. She was obviously upset...

But I didn't understand. Our garden plot is towards the middle of the community garden, there aren't any trees nearby at all. I looked all around at the other plots, thinking someone had hung a bird house, but I didn't see a thing. And the bird was very focused on me, even tho my partner was standing and digging nearby, and there were some other gardeners a couple plots over.

And then I finally looked down. And saw the eggs. I was literally right above them. I apologized profusely to the bird! She was yelling at me for a reason, and I felt like such a stupid human.

And I felt bad for the bird as well. She's obviously a first time mother. I mean, who puts their eggs right in the middle of a community garden plot? There's going to be people there all the time. Poor girl.

When I got home, I got my bird book out. She's a Killdeer, a bird common across North America. They nest on the ground (yeah, obvious now, huh?!) and are suppose to have four to six eggs.

oh boy: the incubation period for the eggs is 22 to 28 days!

We shall see what happens. Will she abandon her eggs and go try again someplace else? Or will she stay?

We will definitely work around her if she decides to stay.

Static8 > Journal > 25 apr 2015

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