Thursday, April 09, 2009

Killdeer conference

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While I was waiting at the school parking lot to pick up Calvin from baseball practice (An activity I am getting used to this week), I heard a commotion by the side of the road, near one of those nice mitigation ponds they dug when they developed the school site. I looked and saw this group of three killdeers. What could they be discussing?

It has been a busy week, with baseball practice, parent teacher conferences, and of course Twins games to watch. I have been running whenever I get a chance, but not two days in a row yet. Tonight was the best run in a long time; I heard the first frogs of the season! 1.2 miles, running hard a lot of the way.

Tonight we have clear skies and a full moon will be rising shortly. The woodcock will be displaying, and the ruffed grouse will be drumming all night. This is the real spring moon.

The kids have tomorrow off of school; I'm not so lucky.

9 comments:

Unknown said...

I love kildeer! Have never heard a ruffed grouse, as far as I know, though. Enjoy the spring!

Jayne said...

The kildeer are so funny when they gather and try to protect nesting sites. Glad spring is rearing it's head for you there. :c)

R.Powers said...

Oh no, the cycle of practices begins!
Great schoolyard wildlife!

Grizz………… said...

You know, we have plenty of ruffed grouse in the hill-country portion of the state, and I camp there a lot during drumming season I've also fished in Michigan a lot in the spring when their grouse are drumming. But I've never heard a grouse drum in the night. I wonder if I've just slept through it, or if I've not been there during full moons?

I think it's amazing the extra little things you sometimes learn about wildlife when you actually live alongside them—regardless of how often you've seen or heard or studied them on shorter visits.

Endment said...

How fun to have the killdeers
We seldom see them and so far have never seen them near our home.

The grouse are nearby but we haven't heard them yet.

All the joys of spring!

RuthieJ said...

That's a cute picture. I'm glad you had your camera along!

Lené Gary said...

You have a great way of integrating your life in your posts, Deb. There's such richness here. :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Deb, great picture. I'm thinking of starting a blog myself, so I wanted to experience adding a comment, JW

Deb said...

I just now realized I never responded to comments on this post. Sorry, I enjoy comments so much and I should never let them slide!

Penelope- Killdeers are a great sound of spring. A ruffed grouse sounds kind of like an old tractor starting up.

Jayne- They make such a commotion! We have had them nest on our land before, by the pond.

FC- The next ten years or so of my life is booked. :) Our school has a great location for wildlife, surrounded on three sides by state park. But as far as I know, they don't use that opportunity as much as they could!

Grizzled- These midnight pit stops have taught me a lot!

Endment- The joys of spring are many. Enjoy yours!

RuthieJ- It was being in the right place at the right time with the camera!

Lene- Thank you. It's a fine line, keeping an all purpose blog that shows natural observations along with my everyday life. But the two are integrated so much anyway.

JW- Thanks. Let me know when you get your blog up and running!