Dear killdeer chicks in killdeer heaven:

**update** This was written when I thought that George's chicks were dead, but it turned out they weren't. However, I thought I would keep this on my blog for anyone else dealing with the sadness and disappointment of losing killdeer chicks they've been enjoying.


Dear Killdeer Chicks in Killdeer Heaven:

I'm sorry that your parents led you to an area where you were in danger. I was really worried about you that day and tried to think of a way to help. But, I trusted your parents to do what's best for you. Afterall, they're raised babies before and I felt that they knew what to do. I was going to check on you the night before you died just to make sure you were OK because I know there were a lot of people around and I didn't want any harm to come to you because of us humans. But, I figured that your parents would take good care of you, so I decided not to. Afterall, I saw you every morning and made you hide all the time. I thought you should have time away from me in peace.

I wish I did come to see you so I could see you one more time. I don't know if it would have helped you live one more day or not. I don't know what got you and if me checking on you would have kept it away or made it come closer. Or, if my presence there would have made your parents think twice about bringing you there and take you back to a safer area. I don't know what made your parents leave that area where you were hatched. I did notice the grackles eying you over there, but you could have hidden in the area with the reeds and would have been fine.

I will do everything I can to make sure your new brothers and sisters will not fall into the same fate. Hopefully, I will be able to see each one every day in case I need to move them away from that bad area, if possible, or call someone to help you. I'm hoping that your parents will not make the same mistake twice. I don't want to get involved in the killdeer life, just observe and admire. Your kind has their own life with their own problems and I need to stay out of it. I only want to help if there's a human causing a problem with killdeer or something a human did cause you to do something harmful to yourselves (such as the lake water being lowered).

Hopefully you are at peace and did not suffer in your final moments. I enjoyed your week of life and hope you did, too. I miss you very much.

Your human friend,

D.