93/366 | Killdeer
With all the gardening done, I took today to play. Of course, I could've cleaned inside the house, but hey, the dirt will still be there tomorrow.
I had heard rumors that the Limpkin made its way to Baton Rouge recently--an extremely rare bird for us. After doing some online snooping, I found the exact location where the bird was seen recently and headed out. No luck there, so I went to LSU Lakes to try for the female Wood Duck. My attention became focused on a Killdeer hunting for food in the mud and I actually caught him pulling worms out. I'll try for the Wood Duck and Limpkin another day. Killdeer are skittish and difficult to shoot, so I had to use this as my photo of the day since this one didn't seem too bothered by my presence.
The Killdeer is a medium-sized Plover. Killdeer parents will feign a wing injury or act crippled if their nest or eggs are threatened. This is to detract attention away from their young. Once the threat is gone, they are suddenly healed. The distinct red eyeing and black neck/chest stripes make them quite attractive. They were previously known as Chattering Plovers or Noisy Plovers. They are well known for their loud, wailing kill-deeeeer cries - the origin of their common name.
400mm | f/6.3 | ISO 400 | 1/2500 sec