As we were wandering about, I became aware of a continuing, high-pitched bird call. Turning to look in the direction of the sound I saw a mother Killdeer, very distressed, trying to get our attention. She seemed to be trying to draw us away from where we were standing. Having read a story about a mother Killdeer and how she protects her eggs, I knew we must be somewhere near her nest. Because I had never seen Killdeer eggs before, I mentioned to my husband that I wanted to find the eggs so I could see them.

The mother bird was doing all she could to lure us away from her nest by flying this way and that, running back and forth, then hopping towards us, then scampering away again. Then up in the air she would fly, then back down towards us again. When all her efforts to draw us away seemed in vain, she would feign a broken wing, trying to get us to come after her. I would follow her for a short distance watching to see where she would go, and then I would turn back to the spot where I thought the eggs should be. By watching the little mother's actions and listening to the pitch of her call I could ascertain approximately where the eggs might be. But, try as we may, we still could not find them.

As I looked around I realized that Jimmy had wandered off a little distance from me. I was still searching the ground when I heard him say in a concerned tone of voice, "I found them!" And indeed he had found them. While walking and looking around he felt something soft under his feet. Looking down he realized he had stepped on the eggs. Oh! I felt so bad for him. He was glad he had found the eggs, but disappointed that he had to find them in this way. There were four of them. Four lovely brown spotted eggs. The mother Killdeer lays them right out in the open on the bare ground. I couldn't help wondering about the wisdom of this mother bird. It seems the eggs would be so vulnerable to predators out in the open with no covering or protection. Her eggs blended in so well with the ground that they were difficult to see. As I bent over them to have a closer look, I could see the broken eggs had baby birds well formed inside of them, though they were not quite ready to hatch.

I wanted to pick up the two broken eggs and move them out of the way in hopes the mother would not realize what had happened to them, and would still care for the two remaining eggs, but Jimmy suggested that I leave them there. I had hoped the mother would come back and sit on the two eggs that were left, but was afraid she would not. I can't help wondering how she handled the situation. She was quite stressed over it all, and I felt so bad for her. As we got in our car and begin driving, we saw her fly away from the cemetery.

This experience left quite an impression on my mind. Bending over and touching those eggs with the little birds still in them did someting to me inside. I was truly moved with sadness over these little creatures still in their shells, knowing they probably would not survive. I am sure I will not forget the experience.

I was glad I had the opportunity to see the eggs, and to see the mother Killdeer up close, and to observe her actions. It is a rather neat experience to read about something, and then be able to see what you have read happening before your eyes.

I have read that all things in nature tell us about our Heavenly Father's love. God cares about unhatched Killdeer chicks even more than I do. I am reminded that not a Sparrow falls of which our Heavenly Father takes special notice and cares about. How He must love and cherish even the tiniest things in His creation. So I know He cared about this mother Killdeer and her little unhatched brood. We must know too, how He also cares for us and our little brood, as we strive to raise them in this world of confusion, frustration, hurt, and pain. He is constantly watching over us in love and tenderness. We can learn so many wonderfully beautiful lessons from nature if we will just look for them - and, many times when we are not looking for them.