Last weekend on the Christmas Bird Count, I came across a very photogenic Killdeer. These abundant shorebirds, usually only stay the summer in Calgary, several birds, however, also stay the winter.
Despite our frigid winters, these hardy Killdeer seem to manage all right, we see them throughout the winter which must mean that they are surviving. They are definitely finding food, as can be seen in the photo below.
This Killdeer seemed to be finding enough food
At one point, I even saw this particular bird with a small morsel of food clenched in its beak.
This Killdeer was fearless and approached me; which is quite a nice change as a photographer! It also engaged in the species peculiar method of moving; they run for a few feet, stop, look around, flick their tail up, bob their head up and down a couple times, and then repeat this cycle over again.
Just finished a short run, the Killdeer stops, looks around and...
Bobs it's head out of the photo, leaving the photographer with an unusual result; but a good story!
Each year, Killdeer are seen wintering in Calgary, somewhere on the Bow River. Though it may seem like a daft idea to many of us, this species obviously are doing just fine!
A Merry Christmas to you from all of us here at the blog!
Posted by Matthew Sim
Thank you for posting these photos!
I am yet to see a killdeer in Calgary.
I wonder if they hang out in groups or if they are more territorial.
There are usually a few Killdeer that try to overwinter here. They can be found together. A few have been seen along the river at Carburn Park this year.
Great shots, Matthew! I see that getting down near the ground to photograph birds really does produce some interesting shots. I’m going to have to try it.
Really nice photos, Matthew – I love these plucky little birds!