Killdeer nesting in a burned area – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/320, ISO 500, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
I like to take unique photos of my subjects whenever I can so when presented with the opportunity to photograph this Killdeer nesting in the ashes of last year’s controlled fires at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge I jumped at the chance.
Last year’s fires were set to help control invasive phragmites, also known as Common Reed, which thrives in the wetlands surrounding the Great Salt Lake. Phragmites can overrun native species, crowd them out and change the habitat in ways that are not beneficial for native wildlife. The refuge staff uses several strategies to mitigate phragmites including burning the stands of the invasive plants to the ground. Last year the fires burned lots of phrags and some of the native plants too. The vegetation is regenerating on the marsh this season but there are still areas where the burns are visible.
Due to the the small diameter of the burned stubs of vegetation in this image I believe this area had been covered in rushes not phragmites when it was burned last year.
More information on phragmites can be found here on the Wild About Utah website.
Both the female and male Killdeer incubate so there is no way for me to tell what the gender of this Killdeer is but it stayed on the scrape while I photographed it and didn’t move. The bird was backlit but there were clouds in front of the sun so the exposure didn’t turn out bad at all.
I hope when the chicks hatch that they do well.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Killdeer photos plus facts and information about this species.
Killdeer or phoeinic???
Just the continuation of a war against nature. So sad. Eventually these plants will integrate into the natural ecosystem. It’s not only humans who can learn to utilize something.
I share your hope for the chicks. And hooray for any species which shares incubation duties.
The amazing tenacity of life – thanks for sharing Mia!
Cool shot, Mia
How apocalyptic! It matches how I feel. The struggles to survive in our changing world .Will our wild neighbors adapt and survive the greed and spread of humans? Sorry to be a wet blanket but the photo speaks that message so well to me.
The Killdeer evidently found something to like about that location! Probably used it previously. Thank you for sharing a very unique photograph!
Wonderful to see this! But why any controlled fires out west these days? It seems more helpful to plant trees and to initiate small ecosystems with streams and beavers.
Interesting that the Killdeer would nest in that area. I’m hearing lots of Killdeer but not seeing any chicks yet. I quite like this photo.