As a non-birder who loves birds, I have an advantage: I am often delighted to discover a "new" bird even though the bird guides call it "common." This morning I saw my first kildeer in the pond in front of Brockton High. It flew from cover on the pond shore out to the low "island" in the middle, where it waded in the shallows with a buddy. The striking neck rings made me think vaguely of piping plover, and I was pleased to find that kildeer is in the plover family. I took photos, recorded the call on my phone, and found the ID with no difficulty on my Audubon Bird app. Very satisfying, all around!
Kildeer prefer just the sort habitat in which I found them: ponds with shallow water to provide food for their young. They nest on the ground, making the little island just the place--provided the pond level doesn't rise due to rain! The other bird is probably the mate, since the sexes have similar plumage.
Alder
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