Healesville Favorites

Favorite thing: One of the little things I enjoyed while in Healesville this trip, were the Plover birds we had camped almost right outside our door in the grass at the pub.
One of the two standing in the grass started up a furious squawking when we arrived and rushed at us a bit, a sure sign that they had a nest very close by.
Plovers only breed on the ground, though they do fly fine. They also tend to nest in inappropriate spots, and this one was no exception. Any closer, and cars from the pub would have been backing right over the nest.
What the parent birds lacked in common sense though they made up for in total devotion to their chick - one would stand guard and try to lure any invaders away from the nest at all times, including keeping up the warning squawks and threats all night long, if necessary. One always kept watch and never seemed to sleep at all.
We did see the chick at one stage, as it squatted in the dirt behind its parents while they put on their usual 'attack' show. Camouflage with the dirt was about all the tiny cute ball of fluff had going for it.