Silly Willet

Eastern Willet

(Catoptrophorus semipalmatus)

Upon my return to Cape Breton late this spring,

(spring was late, too!!),

The Ranger surprised me with 3 completed 

and installed Tree Swallow nesting boxes.

Much to my delight, the Tree Swallows returned the very next day

and after much 'to-do', inhabited all 3 boxes.

What does that have to do with silly Willets, you ask?
Well, they were under the impression that the Tree Swallow houses
were installed for their benefit!

It gives them a perfect vantage point for

keeping an eye on their territory, my 2.5 acre wet meadow.

From spring until mid-July, my airspace is filled with

their relentless, loud, piercing call.

On this particular morning, there were two willets

 really making a racket,

and they were everywhere....

These two birds filled the sky.  

You could have easily thought there were 20!

The Willet is often described as a large, chunky, shore bird with drab brown plumage.

That is until it takes of in flight!!

They were on the house top.

On the shed roof.

On the street lamp and.

even on the road.

This went on all day long.  I couldn't figure out what was going on.

Until around 2:00 when I was taking clothes in from the line.

Yep!  Three baby willets finally emerged from the grass 

and went across the road to the shore, one at a time.

A fourth wasn't too far behind. 

 I grabbed my camera and binoculars 

and sat on the shore,waiting patiently. 

 Almost one hour later, they worked their way through more grass,

and popped out onto the shore, 

where I lost them because they blended in so well.

It took them all day, but those babies made it 

across the 2.5 acres of meadow,

and across the ditch by the side of the road.

I was so impressed with the parent birds.  

They stuck to those babies like glue.

An eagle came down 4 times, 

and they fought him off each time.

They stuck around for a day and a half, 

then worked their way down the shore.

Today I observed them about 1/2 mile away

 at a friend's house.

I will miss them.

The female will eventually take off 

and leave the rest of the parenting to the male.

Reminder:  Tuesday is the last day to enter for a chance to win
a copy of Avian Architecture over at KaHolly.