One of the most interesting wild animals we interact with on the farm are killdeer. These small birds make nests on the ground that they then protect by trying to scare away, or lead away, any person or animal that comes near.

This killdeer has a nice nest down by the river near our house. Often, you can see one along the hayride, since they prefer the rocky areas of the pasture.

The killdeer fan out their tails to look bigger and scarier. They will also pretend that one of their wings or legs is hurt to try and lead potential predators away from the nest. Once the predator is led far enough away, the killdeer will fly off hopefully confusing the predator enough that they will not return towards the nest. Notice her three eggs under her among the flowers.