The plovers...good and bad

A couple of posts ago I mentioned that there were a couple of plovers (Masked Lapwing) near our van and that they had four eggs.   Well, they were pretty much due to hatch and the eggs disappeared. I was very upset for them.

No idea what happened to them but I suspect that the park managers got rid of them because they are on a powered site that they will need to have available to sell as the busy season comes on.  This is serious as plovers are protected in Tasmania, therefor any interference with the them, the nest, the eggs are not permitted.

Well, I am please to say that the other pair (not on a saleable site) hatched about four days ago and infact, we were just driving past when I noticed that two of the eggs had hatched and mother plover was still sitting on the third.

One newly born chick and an egg under Mum....she is posied to strike should I come any closer. 

Both parents look after the chicks..here they are watching me with beaded eyes.. one false move and they will  go on the offensive.

"I'm tired Mum, think I will have a little rest by you"

Unfortunatly, out of the three plovers born, there are only two left.

This is one of them that came walking past our van to day. For little birds, the parents make them walk a long way during the day, around the park looking for food.  The chicks feed themselves straight after being born.

Don't worry, Mum and Dad are close by.