Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1918-12-12
The Killdeer Babies.

nest in the cornfield north of her house.
II was a new cornheld, planted where
there had been an evergreen forest only
a short time before. II did not look like
a good place for corn TO grow, because
the ground was rough looking and full
OF stones, little and big; but the corn
grew and thrived. II did not look like
a good place for a birds nest, either,
and Aunt Lou would not have known
there was a birds nest there had she
not been a person who noticed things.
The nest was not like any nest Aunt
Lou had ever seen before. II was moth
ing but a hollow in the ground, made
round and lined with little shells and
stones. There were no soft little root
lets or dried grasses in it, and not a
sign of a feather bed. The reason Aunt
Lou knew that it was nest was that
there were four good sized eggs N II
with the small ends together in the
middle.
When Aunt Lou was wondering about
those eggs, she heard some one calling
"Kill dee! Kill dee! Kill dee"
Then she knew that it was hllleer'S
nest and that the mother killdeer was
frightened. "Don't Worry" said Aunt
Lou. 81 shall not touch your nest"
But the killdeer mother did worry
She ran away toward the forest, beat
ing her wings on the ground and kick
ing up such dust that Aunt Lou walk
ed quickly away.
She and little Esther and Esther's lit
tie sister Helen love to hear the kill
deers in the blue sky, winging their way
over the green forest and wide blue
water of the Straight ofMackinaw, sing
ing. "Kill deel Kill dee! Kill dee" 1t
seemed wonderful that a little family
of them would soon be living in the
cornfeld Aunt Lou straightway told
little Esther about the nest
"Come with me and will show II 10
you," said she.
Finding that nest again was not easy.
because in that stony field eggs, nest
and stones all looked alike, which was
the very reason why the killdeer placed
her nest in plain sight.
If the mother killdeer had kept still
Aunt Lou might not have found the nest
again without long search for It. But
UP jumped the killdeer mother, and
went limping over the field, dragging
her wings and making a great FUSS
while all the relatives in the neighoor'
hood began calling, "Kill dee! Kill zee
"oh the poor mother bird is huft?'
cried Esther.
"She is only fooling you, Esther
answered Aunt Lou. "She is trying to
lead you away from her nest. Here II
is"
So Esther saw the nest with the four
creamish-colored eggs in it. and she
had a good look at the mother bird. A
killdeer, as you may know, is about ten
inches long, with small head, short
neck and slender body, and wings
that reach to the end of the long tail. II
has a black bill, and the lids OF its big
eyes are edged with bright red. Its
feathers are mostly brown and reddisl
brown on the back, with few touches
of white, and the feathers on the lower
part of the body are white. The Kill
deer wears black ring round its neck
and a black band on its breast.
Little Esther and Aunt Lou found out
afterwards that the killdeers are GOOD
neighbors, because they feed on worms
prasshoppers, beetles and snails. and
they feed at night as we'll as in the day
time.
The next day, when Aunt Lou and
little Esther went out to see the nest
the mother bird acted more distracte
than ever.
90 Esther" called Aunt Lou, for lit
tie Esther had followed the bird tc
see if she had really broken one OF hei
long legs. esther, Esther, come here
The little birds have just hatched, and
one of them has just this minute come
out Of his shell. We mustn't stay any
longer, because we must let the mother
bird come back and cuddle the poor lit
tie things"
Esther came running to see the baby
birds, and how she pitied them because
they had no soft, comfortable nest like
the robins and the cedar birdsl 81 don
see how the poor little things can evei
get along in such hard nest until they
learn to hy~ she exclaimed. 81 don
see what their mother is thinking abou
TO treat her babies like that"
And just then the queerest thing hap
pened that Aunt Lou or Esther ever saw
happen in a birds nest Imagine nov
you would feel il you were standing BY
a robins nest when the baby birds were
just hatchedl Imagine how you would
feel If the little things should wink
you and suddenly fly away, calling back
"Cheer up! Cheer up! Cheer up!"
That is exactly what three Of those
just Matched killdeer babies did, only
instead Of lifting their wings, theI
climbed out Of their nest, Strengthened
their long legs and ran swiftly I'D anc
down over the rough ground away anC
away toward the forest calling aloud
"ChirrupI ChirrupI Chirrup! Chirp
Chirp! Chirpl"
When Aunt Lou and little Esther re
covered a bit from their surprise, s.