The Nest - A Sad Update

The other day I posted the story of the two killdeer with the nest of four eggs and about how the killdeer acted as the Guardians of their brood. Today I must bring you a sad update. I told you about the storm on Tuesday that brought the big hail with it, some of the hailstones as big as golf balls in our front yard. Also coming with that was temperatures that dropped down into the 20's for lows for three days straight. We all know how Mother Nature can cruel at times and this was definitely one of those times.

This is how I found the nest this morning (Saturday the 7th). The eggs were gone. The killdeer were gone and all that was left were the rocks and the snow that had been dusted upon the spot from heavy snow showers the day before and during the night.

My estimate of what happened is this. With hail the size of quarters and golf balls falling from the sky at 120 miles per hour, I'm guessing the eggs were pulverized by the large ice balls. What was left of the eggs was then washed away by the heavy rain that came with it. To be honest I doubt neither the eggs or the chicks that might have hatched would have survived the cold temperatures of the next three nights. The first and second nights lows dropped to 27 degrees. This morning's low of 23 would have been the final nail in the coffin for sure. One this is for certain. The two killdeer would have no little ones to tend to this time around. Mother Nature has her way of doing things and nothing we can do can get in her way. Maybe she's just giving us a little example here that if she wants to make things rough on us she can do it. Maybe she's telling us to listen more closely. But that's just me.