Killdeer

As we slowly drove around a fresh-plowed field in river-bottom land, a killdeer ran across our path and attempted to lure us away from her nest by appearing injured. Her stumbles, wing flutters, tail feather flashes, and pitiful noises subsided only after we passed by.
Killdeer lay their camouflaged eggs on the ground in sunny fields, a practice with a high mortality rate from predation and farm equipment. Still, the bold plovers abound in our area, intent on raising another generation despite their habit of nesting on the ground.