Thursday, June 27, 2013

A Killdeer Show, and Turkey Babies

Whew, summer is definitely here. With all the hot and humid weather we've been having recently, I got up extra early yesterday morning to visit Silver Sands State Park before the sun could get a chance to bake me.

The most active creatures at the beach yesterday were a few Killdeer, who kept calling and flying from marsh to sand:


I see these big fancy plovers every time I visit this park, and they're always a cool sight. I thought they might've been nesting at one point, but I haven't seen any signs of babies yet.

One Killdeer was standing fairly close to the path, glaring at the humans walking by (I think one of its legs might have actually been hurt, but it flew off well enough so hopefully it was OK otherwise):


This bird even streeeetched out its wing for quick graceful pose. I love that pattern on its wing feathers, and I also love its wonderful rust-colored butt:


Another highlight at this park was the astonishing number of Fiddler Crabs congregating on the marsh mud. These guys are always around, but I don't think I've ever seen so many in this place at once:


Crab invasion!

It was a nice quick visit, and I managed to beat the heat. On my drive home, I got an extra surprise when a bunch of little Wild Turkey babies scurried across the road:


Babies! They were into the brush and out of sight in an instant, with Mom (stately and imposing) bringing up the rear:


Stay safe, babies, and try not to cross too many roads...!

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