FISH & FEATHERS By Capt. Ron Malast Brazen killdeer are little heroes!

Published 8:00 pm Tuesday, June 16, 2015

I’m sure most of you are familiar with the medium-sized bird with brown back and wings, a white belly with two black bands and a white forehead called a killdeer. These are the birds that build a nest in your front yard or on the side of the gravel driveway and do the “broken wing trick”, if you get too near their nest, generally this time of the year.

These birds seem to be fearless; they charge man or beast if you venture into their nesting area. If their broken wing feint doesn’t work, they will charge you with their KILL-DE call. I love these little heroes.

What most people do not know is that males and females look alike, they are a member of the plover family, and that the chicks are born with their eyes open and their shoes on, ready to scramble. Although they can’t fly for about two weeks, they sure can ‘beat feet,’ right out of the shell.

During the nonbreeding season, killdeer share the wetlands with other shorebirds but when breeding season comes around, they prefer bare, dry ground to build their nest. It may only be a shallow indent in the ground with a small amount of light brush around.

Although the nests are on fairly open ground, the nests with eggs are hard to locate. The eggs are designed to look like small rocks which has a very good camouflaged effect. In well-developed areas they may build nests in large parking lots and forage at night, they eat mostly insects. Their name comes from their frequently heard call, which can be quite loud.

If you are lucky enough to have a pair nesting in your yard, keep a close eye on the birds’ habits, they are interesting. It takes about 24 days for the eggs to hatch.

• Marine Area 1: The near-shore halibut (Ilwaco) will be open seven days a week from June 15 until further notice. There has been sufficient quota set aside and remaining to extend the season to seven days a week, according to National Marine Fisheries and the International Halibut Commission.

• Results available for special hunts drawing: Hunters who submitted applications for 2015 special-hunt permits can check the results of this years drawing on the Washington Department Fish & Wildlife website. You will need your WILD-ID–NUMBER.

Ron Malast can be reached at 665-3573 or raiders7777@centurylink.net.