Spring = Plovers

It’s spring, so the plovers are having their chicks. Around this part of Tasmania, we have hooded plovers. The plovers hang around their nests for about 8 months, raising their chicks. These are a protected species in Australia and you are not allowed to come within 10 meters of their nest … plus the males very aggressively defend their nest. The plovers are a ground nesting species and love open grassy paddocks. Usually, they get along okay with other animals, so long as they don’t get too close to the nest. Males have spurs on their wings.

The chicks look very much like a grey, white and black pom-pom on sticks, they are very cute indeed.

In the above picture, one of the young can just be seen under the mother, another chick is ranging out at the far right of the picture.

Above, you can see Dad with two chicks on the right with Mum still protecting the third chick.

Another photo of the family.

The coming of plovers into the paddock is a sure sign that Spring has arrived.  They are such lovely birds and I really don’t mind being bombed by the protective male. From here, however, the prospect isn’t particularly good. Plover chicks are prey to hawks and falcons in the area, that’s kind of okay, it’s natural. What I really object to is that what the hawks and falcons don’t get, pet cats get. I just wish that there was something that I could do to make them safe from these incredibly efficient introduced predators. It would be very nice if the owners of these animals took greater care of their animals.