I live in Ballard across the street from a ball field. Sometimes after dark
I hear a high-pitched whining cry that sounds to me like a killdeer.
(Admittedly, I'm a rank amateur). Last night I went looking for the bird and
saw what appeared to be a pair of killdeer, or at least some kind of
"plover-ish" birds, foraging in the grass. I had no flashlight so getting a
positive ID based on the birds' markings was impossible. So my questions
are? Is it common (or probable) that killdeer would occupy urban terrain at
night? Could they have been a different species? (And, if so, what?) What
food source might they find in a lawn?

Many thanks,

Eric de Place
Seattle, Washington
edeplace AT gmail.com