Nature's Ways.....

Story starts below....

Follow this Killdeer (notice the bold dark bands on the white chest...a good ID field mark) through the next three photos. I first spotted this one running through the grass near Lake George, no doubt searching for a snack. Next I saw it near the water's edge, still as a stone. As I slowly approached (within about 75'), the bird flattened it's posture into the pose shown...belly on the ground, neck extended, hoping to go unnoticed behind the grass.

The Ox-Eye Daisy....one of many area members of Compositae....the 'daisies'.

The Eastern Cottontail Rabbit...Sylvilagus floridanus....a species that is a key component of many wildlife food chains. A common species, this rabbit is the one you may see along the roadside, at the edge of a field, or your yard, especially in the late afternoon or early morning. When I see one (the one shown, a large adult, is in my yard), the first sensation I get is one of sadness....as few rabbits live to see the end of their first year. Hawks, weasels, snakes, owls, foxes, coyotes, eagles, dogs....all chase the rabbit. The death rate vies with the birth rate...it is not uncommon for rabbits to produce 3-4 litters per year. Within hours of giving birth, the female rabbit mates again. Litters are typically quite large, with average being 4-6.