Baby Chicks

 

First... I did not take these pictures... but I wish I did!  This cute tiny chick is a Killdeer bird.  WE have a nest of about 5 of them, plus the Mom and Dad across the street from us.  They like to run around all over the neighbors driveway.  They are tiny enough to fit right in Tanners hand... but we stopped him. 

I took Tanner out earlier today to see them, WE followed one of the parents at what I thought was a discreet distance as it walked along the sidewalk.  We got clear around the corner and then she took off.  We searched in the grass where they like to snuggle down and camoflouge themselves, but didn't see anything. As we walked back up the sidewalk we saw the other parent snuggled with the babies right under our noses.  Sure enough, one was a decoy leading us away.  Killdeer birds are famous for nesting in plain sight and using distraction methods to protect their chicks.  WE took the girls out to the field when they got home from school and searched and searched while the mom and dad flew around one side, we followed them around and around (I didn't learn the first time) and sure enough they were keeping us away.  when we turned and went the opposite way we found them huddled in the grass.  One of the parents then did this broken wing display:

It's saying to a predator (like Tanner) "Come get me! I'm hurt!" She did that all the way across the street in our own yard until we left her babies and then she simply flew away.  Smart Birds!! The chicks are sOo darn cute too. I promise I won't let Tanner keep any ;) But we have a lot of fun watching them run around from across the street.