Some birds protest vigorously if a human (or other perceived predator) passes anywhere near their eggs. The odd thing is that often this noise serves to reveal the presence of a nest that would otherwise be missed.
Emily Graeme sent me this picture of a killdeer near Nelson. It is standing over its eggs and vigorously protesting the presence of people in the area. Just as some people will buy a house near an airport and then complain about the noise, this killdeer had laid eggs around humans and then complained when they passed by.
Similarly, it was protestations of this robin that had built a nest within a meter of my home that alerted me to the fact that it was there.
Without the protests, I would have walked right past without noticing the eggs.
Meanwhile, on another side of the house, a robin chick has already left the nest. At the point the chick is mobile, the parents become more relaxed.
Emily Graeme’s picture is used with permission.
“Uncle Alistair”: This gives me the opportunity to finally do what I’ve been wanting to do for a long time: my dad Michael in Vienna forwarded us your blog and highly recommended subscribing to it. We did this a while ago and now even our kids are hooked (remember Benedikt who so desperately wanted to learn to play the bagpipe at Julia’s wedding in Montreal?). Thank you for all the incredible pictures and very entertaining and educative comments! – My little contribution (unfortunately without pictures): about 2 years ago I was “attacked” by a red-winged blackbird. I regularly go for runs down at Lake Ontario and I heard the loud protests but didn’t think much but suddenly I had a bird on my head, the claws pulling on my hair, but flying off again right away. It was pretty scary. It happened again on my way back, and this was a much-used path! – It happened again a week ago, at exactly the same spot. I heard the bird protest, I saw him and tried to duck down, but he got me again, in the same way. I didn’t go looking for that nest! – Hopefully we’ll see each other again at some family event! In the meantime, we’re following your blog! Love to you and Aunt Dorothy! Ulrike
Ulrike, how nice to hear from you. I did know that various members of your portion of the clan followed my postings. Your story about (springtime) birds objecting to your jogging reminds me that nature is wherever you find it, even in a large metropolitan area. Mind you, I remember seeing some nice things in Toronto when I lived there, but such things are perhaps not quite as varied as where I now live. For example, on a walk a few mornings ago, we watched a nearby black bear with her cub—not something likely to be seen along the path by your lake—at least not for the last century or so. And it would indeed be a pleasure to see you out this way.