Foggy Day; Tiny goes "home"

Tiny in the fog

Today was a foggy day and I went, first, to check on Tiny and the juveniles at the lake. But, I didn't get very good pictures there.

I did notice that many of the juveniles have gotten new feathers, a little darker than the others. However, Secret, Tiny's favorite playmate-attack target, has gotten a white feather on his back.

Tiny in front, trilling at Secret with his white feather, behind

Most of the juveniles were in Field 7 at Lake Murray. Shy and her dad were all alone in another field. Her dad never lets any killdeer get close to her and vice versa.

Shy in another field

I didn't see the hawk, at first, but all the doves were gone and the starlings were all sitting on wires mimicking the killdeer. It was funny. I kept hearing the "where are you" chirp and the alarm call and going to go look for the killdeer each time, only to find the starlings. They stopped making noises when I stood under them, so I know it was them. I wonder what the other killdeer thought about these noises?

A half hour later, I was looking for George, but didn't find him. Then, Tiny came calling, flying over from across the lake. I thought, perhaps, the hawk might have chased him out or human activity caused him to leave the fields. I could hear other killdeer doing territorial defense sounds, so I figure everyone might have been chased out of that field, and possibly went to Shy's field, which her dad didn't like.

Tiny seemed really upset and didn't try to eat or anything. Instead, he stood there, right in the middle of a bunch of ducks. I think he was lonely, but he didn't call for his siblings.

Tiny in the sun, looks female-like with the sun directly on his face

Also seen:

One of two spotted sandpipers at the lake this year.



A really small duck, possibly a call duck. It looks like a mini-mallard. It could also be a different breed of wild duck I haven't seen before like a female northern pintail.