I have been monitoring a Killdeer nest in my neighborhood for the past few weeks.  The chicks hatched yesterday, and today, the parents decided that it was time to undertake the major journey to the other side of the road.  The only problem: towering curbs.  What ensued was quite amusing.

The chicks wanted nothing to do with jumping off that cliff Mama and Papa tried repeatedly to teach the chicks to jump off the curb:

Mama trying to teach the chick to jump down

The chicks wanted nothing to do with jumping off: 

Mama tried repeatedly to teach them to jump

The chicks were frightened for very good reason:

The chicks were afraid of jumping down to the road for very good reason.

The chicks were so frightened that they repeatedly dove under mama or papa:

The chicks got so frightened of the jump, the repeatedly dove under mama.

Finally Papa had had it will this wussy behavior, so he knocked one chick down with his wing: 

Finally papa had had it with the wussy behavior. He knocked one chick down with his wing.

This left the remaining chick with a major dilemma: 

The remaining chick was now confronted with a major dilemma.

I did not see the second chick jump, but he must have, because suddenly the family was reunited:

i did not see the second chick jump, but there he was, and the family was reunited.

Now the next obstacle: that darned curb on the other side:

Now the chicks had a new dilemma

Mama and Papa tried repeatedly to get the chicks to jump up, but the reality finally dawned on them that they were asking the impossible, and they led them around the obstacle. 

After repeated attempts to coax the chicks to jump up, they wisely decided to lead them around the formidable curb

The chicks were now in the relative safety of the large field:

Finally to the relative safety of the large field.

But, crows and Brewer's Blackbirds were swooping through the area:

A crow came swooping through So, the chicks did what they know best, they dove under mama and papa.

The chicks dove for cover at the sign of the crow

Life is going to be tough for these little guys.  Let's wish them well! If you want to see more picture from the day, go to my full album: April 15, 2017