At my work, in the carpark there is a concrete island with some grass in it. Cars park on both sides on this. A plover decided to nest in this area, so EVERYDAY when we're all going into work and coming out, the mum starts squaking and the dad is walking around the parking lot squaking at everybody. Has made me wonder if he'll swoop down on someone. They shouldn't nested in a really busy area! There is a botanical gardens right next to our office...would have been much quieter there!

Plovers are little devils we had them nesting and we used to take a broom handle held over our head when going past as they swoop. They have those little spurs on their wings.

Also the magpies and other birds swoop in spring, when out walking they hit you on the head.

A few pairs of plovers nest in our neighbourhood every year. This year one pair were nesting on our front garden. As the kids and I use mainly the back garden, they didn't bother us too much. The chicks, 4 of them at the start, were actually very cute to watch. However one by one they have all disappeared. The parents are hanging around, hopefully not nesting again, till next year. They still swoop at our dog because last year he sat on their eggs by accident, crushing 2 out of 4 of them!

Mrs JTL

just imagining your perplexity at the sight of a human running from a small bird is hilarious!!!

As kids we were warned that plovers had some sort of spike in their wings that could take our eyes out...I still swing a pole or branch above my head if I have to walk past a known nesting ground but not sure how true the danger is. Bloody scary tho - horrible noise they make!

Magpies on the other hand are confirmed dangerous - can take out an eye or kill a pigeon in one swoop!! Viscious nasty creatures in nesting season. At my country primary school whenever we needed to use the loo we had to don the teacher's large akubra. If 2 of us needed to go, the 2nd kid had to put an ice cream bucket on their head!! Then run like blazes swinging a metre ruler above your head...

Ah, homesick now...

I grew up in Africa and have personally fought off Pterodactyls, T-Rexs and Jabbawockys, but never thought a human would ever be scared of a timid little Plover in Australia!!!