THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 31, 1996 TAG: 9603300105
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Coastal Journal
SOURCE: Mary Reid Barrow
LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines
A pair of killdeers chose Evelyn Flengas' driveway for their nest this spring and now Flengas and the birds are all on the verge of nervous breakdowns.
The female spends most of her time sitting on her five gray speckled eggs that blend in with the driveway stone. The male spends his time standing guard across the driveway from the nest. Ever alert, they keep a wary eye out for the mailman, visitors, dogs and other intruders that may be tempted to use Flengas' driveway.
When danger threatens, the courageous birds go into action. The female dashes off the nest, feigning a broken wing. The male dive bombs invaders and tries to lead the neighborhood dogs away. He'll also fall into the broken-wing disguise himself to distract attention from the nest. The birds will pretend that both wings and also the tail are broken if necessary to get you to follow them away from the eggs.
Flengas has cordoned off the nesting area with a board. She's also told everyone she can think of not to drive up the driveway but to park down by the road.
``My husband wanted to bring dirt in for the garden and now he can't,'' she said. Now he's put that off until next year and ``he'll make sure he gets it before nesting season.''
Flengas keeps a watchful eye on the killdeers with binoculars. She worries about all the hazards that could befall little birds who nest out in the open, especially in a driveway where there are so many comings and goings.
``I have eight dogs in the neighborhood to contend with, too,'' Flengas said. ``And today, she's sitting out there in that nest in the rain. There she sits with no shelter. Bless her little heart.''
Flengas knows that both she and the killdeers will be on guard for a good while. ``Not only do I have to wait for them to hatch,'' she said, ``but the babies have to get on their way, too.''
That will be an eternity for Flengas who worries every second for the birds' safety. It seems it takes killdeer eggs about 24 days to hatch. And then it's another 25 days before the little ones are able to fly. In that time, they run around still in the open, following their parents, pecking at the ground for insects.
And although it seems inappropriate to nest in a driveway, it's a killdeer thing to do. The birds all nest in the open in shallow depressions in fields and meadows. They often line their nests with pebbles, which is probably one of the reasons they also will nest in stone driveways. Killdeer have even been known to nest in the rocks between railroad ties, according to the Audubon Society Encyclopedia of North American Birds,
A medium-size bird with long wings, the killdeer has a brown back and two conspicuous black rings around its white neck. A member of the plover family, it looks like a typical shorebird, but is more often found in agricultural areas and open country.
If a killdeer were to nest in a driveway, Evelyn Flengas' driveway is a good one to pick. Flengas is a wildlife rehabilitator with Wildlife Response, so she cares for critters like killdeers more than most.
Last year, a pair of the birds also hung around Flengas' yard, but if they nested, she wasn't aware of it. A few days ago, she discovered them back again and all settled in when she walked down the driveway to her mailbox.
``There was this little bird walking with its wing outstretched, looking injured,'' she recounted, ``and when I came back, the male and female both were stretching their wings out. I looked and found her three eggs.''
Now the killdeer has five eggs, Flengas said.
Just recently, the killdeers have become used to Flengas and she can walk past the nest and down to the mailbox without throwing them into a tizzy. The female only watches and the male just comes over closer, Flengas said.
``I just think she's wonderful . . . we have bonded,'' Flengas added. ``If they can make it, I will be one pleased person.''
P.S.: HATS OFF TO YOU is a program for children at 1 p.m. Wednesday at historic Francis Land House. Participants can make a spring bonnet for themselves and for their dolls. The fee is $10. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Call 431-4000 for reservations.
OSPREYS are the topic at the Back Bay Restoration Foundation meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Princess Anne Recreation Center. Reese Lukei, who bands the big birds for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, will speak. The meeting is open to the public and a deli buffet will be available for purchase. Call 412-4240. MEMO: What unusual nature have you seen this week? And what do you know about
Tidewater traditions and lore? Call me on INFOLINE, 640-5555. Enter
category 2290. Or, send a computer message to my Internet address:
mbarrow(AT)infi.net. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MARY REID BARROW
This killdeer and its mate have chosen Evelyn Flengas' driveway to
nest in. The pair has produced five gray speckled eggs, including
the one pictured just below the bird. Fortunately for the birds,
Flengas is a wildlife rehabilitator and is keeping the driveway
clear.
by CNB