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Masked Lapwing |
Sightings
So far we have seen only subspecies "novaehollandiae", the Spur-winged Plover. They are permanent residents in our area near Narrabri, New South Wales. One pair has adopted the paddocks behind the farmhouse where we lived up to 2006 as its territory and, in line with their habits, they come back every year to raise their chicks.
Other breeding pairs reside on the paddocks at the Australia Telescope observatory 25 km west of Narrabri, on farms 20 km east of Narrabri and an the slopes to the Nandewar Range, 30-40 km east of Narrabri.
Plovers were also sighted by us on a trip to the east of the dividing range, in the area from Armidale to Dorrigo and further to the Clarence river downs and Iluka, New South Wales.
Also seen and heard around water in the Flinders and Gammon Ranges in South Australia in March 2008.
Photos
Two Spur-winged Plovers on a concrete path in Sydney (click on image for larger version)
Plover chick on a dry paddock
Family of Plovers on our paddock (two of four chicks visible); click on photo for larger version
Family of Plovers on the bank of our neighbour's billabong; they are clearly taking some interest in the photographer's activities
Plover wading through shallow water on the bank of Narrabri Lake (click on image for larger version)
For those who like diversity: Adult Pacific Black Duck (front left), Royal Spoonbill (front right) and Masked Lapwing (Plover; rear left) on our former neighbour's billabong, 20 km south of Narrabri, New South Wales (click on image for larger version)
One animal's refuse is another's resource; immature Masked Lapwing poking around in cowdung
Nest
Plover nests are just moulds in the ground. There is no cushioning material, not even if on stony ground, only a few twigs lining the edges (see photo below).
Plover sitting on its nest taken from a distance, because the bird will retreat and try to distract an intruder's attention from the nest when disturbed
Photo of a Plover nest with 4 eggs in it in 2005; click on photo for larger version
Eggs
There are usually around 3-4 speckled eggs in the nest (see photo). For a zoom onto the eggs in the photo above click here. A year later, in September 2006, we obtained a photo of the same nest, again with 4 eggs.
Habits
Plovers return to the same nesting site every year and place the nest in the exact same spot, as precisely as they can remember. When there are eggs in the nest (just a mould in the ground) or chicks around, one had best not approach too closely. Plovers are not afraid to swoop on, and make contact with, humans venturing too far.