Plovers

(Pic stolen from McBigg)

As is usually the case with Government offices in regional areas, we're stuck out in the boondocks. This phenomenem usually leads to an office with acres of grassed area in close proximity, and usually on a busy road.

And this time of year, the plovers start hanging about to nest. Lovely birds - not. Ground nesters, extremely territorial, and big mofo-sharp spurs on their wings.

So as it would happen, a breeding pair decided to nest on the grass out the front of work. No biggie, they just hang around and stalk the nest, scaring away any potential predators (or humans that are stupid enough to walk too close to the nest on the way to the shop to buy a sandwich for lunch).

But then, they hatched. Protective plovers then suddendly morph into homocidal plovers. Steer clear, enough said.

But then. I was leaving work the other night, and just as I was pulling out of the carpark, I saw said plovers trying to usher their two chicks across a busy road, at 5pm, in full traffic. Apparently swooping cars doesn't detract them from their primary goal of travelling from A to B.

It was one of the most distressing things I've seen in a while, two tiny little fluffy white chicks, trying to cross the road, no idea what's going on, while the parents go absolutely berko at every passing vehicle.

So, I decided to do what I thought was the right thing at the time. Jumped out of the car with the intention of either slowing traffic and letting the chicks cross, or picking up said chicks and depositing them on the other side of the road.

BAD idea. All this meant was that the plovers had a slower moving target, and I'm stuck in the middle of a busy road, at 5pm at night, with 2 plovers determined to beat me to a pulp with their nasty wing spurs, and I haven't even got close to the chicks.

This particular coward ran for his car and drove away.

I saw the 2 parents and 2 chicks on the other side of the road the next day, but haven't seen them since. I hope it ended well.

Stupid plovers.