I can’t believe I’m writing this post. But here goes…
Do you remember a few weeks ago when I got attacked by plovers? If not, then read this and then come back. I’ll wait for you.
So, I don’t much like plovers. They attacked me. They haunted me, and I don’t like them.
When I wrote that post there were a few people that came to their defense. Like seriously, they came to the plovers defense. When I read their words I was all up in arms and thought, WHO ON EARTH WOULD DEFEND THAT BIRD THAT NEARLY* KILLED ME?
*Slight exaggeration.
But the days and weeks after the attack I turned into David Attenborough and started to watch the local plovers. I would stand at my front window, a bird-free safety zone, and watch them. It bordered on weird. A few times Hubby or Lacey would ask what I was doing, but I ignored them and continued bird-watching. I might be what you call obsessed.
Those plovers gave birth to 4 tiny baby birds. They looked like little fluffy lollipops wandering around in the grass. The baby birds were kinda cute. Their mum and dad are still the ugliest bird species in the world, but the babies… so much cute.
I watched those plovers spend their days defending their family. All day long. They were paranoid and loud and defensive and way over-the-top but I think it was kinda justified. They viewed everyone as a threat. Margaret went to get her mail – total threat. Attacked. Val walked her dog – total threat. Attacked. I had to sniper my way to get the mail, or send Lacey down instead. Who am I kidding? I haven’t got the mail in weeks.
Crows and larger birds would fly in, sometimes in twos, to try and upset the nest. Those plovers had to fight for their family, from the time the sun went up. At night they’d protect their young from stray cats. I TOLD YOU I WATCHED THOSE BIRDS.
Wouldn’t we do the same? I mean we’d build them a house to keep them safe, rather than nest on the ground and let them live in an unsafe area, but they’re doing the best they can. I still don’t like them, but I kinda get it now.
Everyone was a threat. They don’t understand that I want to just walk around the block a few times and burn some fat. They think I want their babies. They’re paranoid and constantly worried. I kinda get it.
I can sadly report that two of those little babies didn’t survive. Despite all the squawking, and flying and protecting, they couldn’t save two of their young. It didn’t happen on my watch, so I can’t report on who did what, but they’re no longer there. They were gone in the first few weeks after birth.
I don’t think I’ll ever like the plovers, but I think we have something in common. We’ll do whatever we can to protect our young, even if it means getting no sleep and going stir crazy. We do what we have to do.
I completely understand it… but I still don’t like birds. Except peacocks (which I’ve always loved… the real and the metal ones like in my pic) and curlews who are more scared of me than I am of them. They stand stock still on their spindly little legs until you walk past. 🙂
Peacocks scare the bejeezus out of me. You can have those.
Haha, my daughter and I took a “short-cut” through an oval one morning on our walk to school and were attacked by what seemed like a whole flock of plovers, I’ve never run so fast in my life … I don’t even think I ever been that freaked out by swooping magpies before. I hated them. Then we moved to another town, and a plover pair reside around the corner at the DMV. Strangely we now love these aggressive birdies, and we’re always saddened every year when we notice some of their chicks are missing.
I’ll always hate magpies though, one of those dang things hit me in the head…hurt too!
I can only imagine how fast you ran. It happened to me once, and I was with Lacey. I left her and ran for my life.
Mother of the year, right here.
I like plovers for some weird reason. There were some that lived near us and we’d look out for them and their babies when we drove past and sing the Plover Song, which was basically just Sonia Dada’s “Lover, Lover (You Don’t Treat Me No Good)” substituting “lover” for “plover”.
Magpies though . . . evil!
Ha ha ha, I love the song. Might have to borrow it. 🙂
I’m with you and get cranky when I hear parents talk horribly about them to their kids as it breeds ignorance, I try to tell my kids that they are swooping to protect babies and I would do the same thing to protect them, they get it then! x
I think it’s a lack of understanding, plus fear… they’re scary!
When my son was 5 he was innocently riding through the park when attacked by 3 magpies. (I dunno why there were three – love triangle maybe??) thankfully he had his helmet on because they actually repeatedly hit his helmet. Poor little guy. He turns 8 soon and still won’t go into the poultry section of the local show.
My husband made me go into the poultry section of a show once, and it was a nightmare. I felt like I was going to vomit from fear. I feel his pain!
Somewhere I read that there is a myth that plovers carry the souls of mothers who died in childbirth and that’s why they protect their young so fiercely.