After breakfast yesterday I chased the killdeer chicks at the Community Park in Poway along Rattlesnake Creek that my good friends Charlie and Kirsten told me about. It wasn’t the best light, but I found the birds and spent perhaps 15 minutes with them. Though there was about 50 feet between me and the birds, the mom was vigilant, barking orders to her progeny. Just before leaving, I watched her giving vocal commands, causing the four chicks to assemble and sit down tight together. It was interesting to see how the chicks tuned in to her, tilting their heads as their attention was diverted from foraging to becoming obscure. I snapped a couple more shots of them grouped in their squat, then walked back to my parking spot and headed home.

Killdeer(Charadrius vociferus) |
Description: Poway Community Park, San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:22 9:45 |
Location:
Poway Community Park |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: KilldeerChicks_D5X0411-PowayCommunityPark |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Killdeer(Charadrius vociferus) |
Description: Poway Community Park, San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:22 9:46 |
Location:
Poway Community Park |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: KilldeerChicks_D5X0435-PowayCommunityPark |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Killdeer(Charadrius vociferus) |
Description: Poway Community Park, San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:22 9:47 |
Location:
Poway Community Park |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: KilldeerChicks_D5X0463-PowayCommunityPark |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Killdeer(Charadrius vociferus) |
Description: The parent Killdeer has started giving the command to assemble the troops and sit tight. Notice the head tilting of the chicks. Poway Community Park, San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:22 9:48 |
Location:
Poway Community Park |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: KilldeerChicks_D5X0489-PowayCommunityPark |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Killdeer(Charadrius vociferus) |
Description: The chicks begin moving to a location the parent seemed to be directing them with vocal commands. Poway Community Park, San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:22 9:49 |
Location:
Poway Community Park |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: KilldeerChicks_D5X0528-PowayCommunityPark |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Killdeer(Charadrius vociferus) |
Description: The chicks begin moving to a location the parent seemed to be directing them with vocal commands. Poway Community Park, San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:22 9:50 |
Location:
Poway Community Park |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: KilldeerChicks_D5X0535-PowayCommunityPark |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Killdeer(Charadrius vociferus) |
Description: Killdeer parent giving vocal commands to the chicks. Poway Community Park, San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:22 9:45 |
Location:
Poway Community Park |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: KilldeerParent_D5X0424-PowayCommunityPark |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Killdeer(Charadrius vociferus) |
Description: Killdeer parent giving vocal commands to the chicks. Poway Community Park, San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:22 9:48 |
Location:
Poway Community Park |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: KilldeerParent_D5X0501-PowayCommunityPark |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Killdeer(Charadrius vociferus) |
Description: Poway Community Park, San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:22 9:45 |
Location:
Poway Community Park |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: KilldeerParentChick_D5X0408-PowayCommunityPark |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |

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