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| photo by Maddie |
A kill-deer laid her eggs right smack-dab in the middle of our driveway. It wasn’t an emergency delivery, she nested first.
What, oh what, was she thinking? I’m sure she had good intentions, the rocks camouflage the eggs so well, but she frets (with good reason) all day long that someone is going to run over her nest. I put a bucket next to it to try and help her out and remind everyone it’s there, but it doesn’t do a thing for her nerves.
Calvin says it’ll take 21 days from the time the last egg was laid until they hatch (unless that 4 ½ foot bull snake that we saw slither across the driveway yesterday, not far from the nest, swallows them first). That’s a long time to fret and fuss. I guess it's no surprise that even in the animal kingdom it takes a lot of work and worry to successfully raise a family. Goodness knows I’ve laid my nest in a driveway more than once and prayed for more than a bucket while I worried and waited.
I do so hope they make it.
10 comments:
Oh I hope those eggs make it for her sake. She is a worried mama. I know how she feels.
Neat story but not so neat situation. Most animals/birds seem to have instinct as to where they build their nests. But we will just have to say this one had bad eyesight. I know they build on the ground and that does not give them protection from man, cats, dogs, vehicles and snakes. So sad.
Yikes, that seems like bad planning for that mama!
Really a 4 foot bull snake, yikes!
Poor little mama is going to get awfully tired of throwing herself on the ground acting like she has a broken wing before 21 days are up! I say kill the snake!
I laughed and laughed at this post. Your wit is perfect pitch for me. What I REALLY want to know is what driveway did YOU lay your eggs in? Could you expound on that?
Cali
I know I have said this before, but my kids would be in heaven at your house! A 4 ft bull snake? Jason would love that.
Those eggs are so pretty, I sure hope they make it.
I love killdear season!
You are so sweet to put out a bucket! I wish I could see that.
I never knew about killdeer birds until we moved to Ephrata but I see them all over now and they are so interesting. We have one running around the front of our house but I haven't discovered where the eggs are yet. Hopefully they survive my kids!
Those eggs are amazing! I showed the picture to Eva and told her about the nest and the snake and she, too, found it all most fascinating.
Very cool. I hope the eggs are still there. We mamas have too much to worry about.
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