The Protective Plover

Since I have decided to just photograph everything, I couldn't resist, driving back to home and fetching my camera to document this extraordinary event. 

At my work (Elphin Lodge on Modderfontein Road)  there are Mr and Mrs Plover (Vanellus armatus; Blacksmith lapwing; Blacksmith plover) that starts nesting once a year and for some or other reason they always decide to do it on our very busy and dangerous parking area.  Most of them survive the unpredictable movements of the cars (remember I work at an old age home), but then apparently they start moving towards the pond and get eaten by mongoose.  This is the same ritual over and over:( 

So, at the moment Mr and Mrs Plover has 4 little plovers and they are adorable.  I saw them for the first time in a very unusual way.  Mrs Plover was sitting on a parking space and looked like she couldn't move, because now matter how close anyone came, she did not get up and fly.  I thought she was maybe hurt in some way.  Then I saw some movement underneath her and soon I realised not one, but four baby plovers were underneath her tummy and she was actually protecting them.  As soon as people were a safe distance away, she would let them go for a short run, but if anyone came closer again, she would call them and they would all run for their protective space between her legs. 

Here are some of the photos of the event:

I think this is pretty amazing!  Now, I just need to find a way to keep the mongoose from killing them. Eish