On our way from Nevada to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park, we spent a night just outside of Bakersfield, California at the Orange Grove RV Park. It’s situated in, yes, and orange grove, and ranks as one of the better private campgrounds we have visited. The bathrooms were fresh and clean, the sites were spacious and tidy and the wifi was better than most.
But the best thing about our one night there was this little mama bird inhabiting the site next to ours. She might have escaped our notice had she not carried on so loudly when we got within five feet of her territory. The reason? She was guarding a clutch of three eggs in her “nest” beneath the picnic table.
But the best thing about our one night there was this little mama bird inhabiting the site next to ours. She might have escaped our notice had she not carried on so loudly when we got within five feet of her territory. The reason? She was guarding a clutch of three eggs in her “nest” beneath the picnic table.
She is a killdeer. We have plenty of them in Florida but I don’t know a lot about birds. I guess nesting right on the ground is normal because the campground owners knew of her already and said she is not the only bird who does this each year. They end up with several sites they can’t rent out each spring.
Her eggs perfectly matched the gravel in the sites. They blended in so well that we really never would have seen them had she not squawked and puffed herself up and practically charged at us. I wanted to tell her, “If you would just sit still and be quiet you would be much safer,” but alas, I do not speak bird. We had a similar experience with another bird in Mt. Rainier NP. It was so perfectly camouflaged we would never have seen it had it not made such an odd chirp when we hiked by. When I say “odd chirp” I mean, Kevin and I were about to blame each other for breaking wind with each step we took.
J: “Was that you?”
K: “No. I thought it was you.”
J: “Listen. There it is again...it’s coming from right there. Is that a bird?”
K: “Where? I don’t see anything.”
J: “Right here by my feet! It looks just like the rocks!”
K: “Nice try. I think it’s the huevos rancheros.”
If you have ever gone hiking in the alpine tundra and (not) seen a ptarmigan, you know what I am talking about.
-Jenni
J: “Was that you?”
K: “No. I thought it was you.”
J: “Listen. There it is again...it’s coming from right there. Is that a bird?”
K: “Where? I don’t see anything.”
J: “Right here by my feet! It looks just like the rocks!”
K: “Nice try. I think it’s the huevos rancheros.”
If you have ever gone hiking in the alpine tundra and (not) seen a ptarmigan, you know what I am talking about.
-Jenni