A Wild Goose Chase?
My son
told me to drive
to the Lighting Warehouse
told me to drive
to the Lighting Warehouse
and to park
in the carpark there
but to watch
for the crazy characters...
which I did.
Is he leading me
on a wild goose chase?
No...
Here they come
the crazy couple
hurtling down the hill
shrieking their dire warnings
to would be predators...
a warning which,
if you know Plovers,
with their spurred wings,
you take very seriously
So I remained in the car
and listened to their
tirades
until they grew tired
of waiting
for my next move...
and retreated
cautiously
I got out of my car
and took a look around
the lawns
had been recently mown
the grounds
were bare and tidy,
but above the corner
of the carpark asphalt
I noticed a little depression...
can you see
the scattered gum leaves
and beneath them
a bluish hue
the plovers' nest
has survived
the motor mower
and in the small
grassy leaf lined nest
four eggs
celadon and speckled
glaze
a plover to be
in waiting...
as I left the lighting store
I noticed in the window
this security warning
and thought it might now be
more apt to feature,
instead of the mighty eagle,
the screeching plover...
My son
often has
brilliant ideas...
*
Your son is a blogger's friend...:)
ReplyDeleteThe nest of eggs was beautiful...perfect photo...I wonder did the Plovers know to make a depression or were they just lucky to find one ready made...
Hi Wanda
ReplyDeleteHe is indeed...He and partner were just over for dinner - it is his birthday today...32 years old - I can't believe it - he is my first baby...
I think Plovers are opportunistic and lay eggs in he strangest places - in the middle of parks and playing fields...
We have a pair that return each year to the park opposite my house on the road side, and we had continual problems exercising the dog in the park whilst the nests were there and when the young were small. The parents dive bomb the dog and me too if I wasn't careful and strayed too far their way.
This depression could have been a hole from an old fence post maybe...
Happy days
hi delwyn, my first thought was that perhaps the plover pair were former irate customers reincarnated as grumpy birds. but the eggs. well how magic is that?!!! i love the mottling on their surface. it's like looking at a radar image of deep space. have a peaceful day. steven
ReplyDeleteDelwyn, the photos were hilarious, but oh, the eggs! It almost made me cry when you found them. They're so beautiful, like rare gems, and I truly hope they survive to hatch!! Thanks for a fabulous post today. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteThat was really fun. Crazy birds. So glad the eggs survived!
ReplyDeleteGreetings, Delwyn! I like the eggs, too! What a find ~ and you would be the one to know to look! I especially like the colors and think they would be lovely painted on a wall. Thanks for the brilliant post!
ReplyDeleteWhat spectacular eggs! They look like something from Martha Stewart.
ReplyDeleteAren't the eggs beautiful! We have them visit each year and year before last there was one spot on the grass we couldn't mow.
ReplyDeleteCute story, Delwyn.
Hi Alaine
ReplyDeletethey don't seem to have any sense of appropriateness do they?
Have a lovely sunny Tuesday
Happy days
Meri
ReplyDeletewith celadon hues they are beautiful...
I wonder how much sitting on the nest there is. There would be no peace during the week with the busy carpark...
Happy days
Hello Steven
ReplyDeleteLittle daily treasures not to be overlooked...
Happy days
Marion
ReplyDeleteI was heading to the fence line looking for a hidden nest - these birds are so crazy- right out on the open...I hope they survive.
Happy days
Good morning Grace
ReplyDeletethanks for stopping by and catching the Plover story
Happy days
Cyndy - how are you busy lady...
ReplyDeleteI might try to blow up the 4 eggs in the nest pic and see how it looks...
Happy days
Thank God those eggs remained intact. Smart parents! to put them below the surface. If you could figure out a way to duplicate those exquisite eggs and nest you could market them everywhere as spring / Easter decorations. They are truly beautiful. And the plovers! They're like prim old gentlemen! You would swear they're drssed to the nines! Delwyn, My favorite photo of yours today is the geometric lawn shot. The cobalt right angle at the bottom, thena parallel line of green, and at the top another parallel line of violet. Very artistic!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely story! I like it very much. The eggs are adorable.
As for plovers, our plovers maybe smaller and don't have yellow on the face. We have always had a very romantic image of them. One of the reasons is that their Japanese name(hamachidori) is very romantic. They have been portrayed romantically in poems and songs. What image have you had of plovers? Romantic?
Hi Margaret
ReplyDeleteyou are so rights - they look as if they have up turned collars, waistcoats and tails on...
Any artistic shot is quite by chance I have to say Margaret....
I am going to have a play with the eggs later in photoshop - if it will open...
Happy days
Hello Sapphire
ReplyDeleteWhat does hamachidori mean?
I didn't know the plover 'til I came to Au so obviously I hadn't come across it in any literature...
I know from experience that they are very protective of their young and dive bomb you if you get too near. They have claws on their wings so it gets a little scarey when you are being bombarded in an open park with the two of them coming from different directions...and they have an awful screech... So perhaps not very romantic at all in the flesh...
Happy days.
Hi again.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, thank you for the recipe for Tomato Porridge. It looks so yyyyummy! I'll make it!!
chidori(千鳥）means plovers. hama means "seashore". We call chidori on the shore "hamachidori". It is also the title of a famous song.
The plovers we often see on the shore are a little different from yours. If you have time, please see this site. They are "Little Ringed Plovers".
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%81%E3%83%89%E3%83%AA%E7%A7%91
Hi again Sapphire
ReplyDeleteI will look up your link thank you. We do have two smaller coastal plovers - a golden one and a small red capped one, according to my bird book.
I shall report back later,
Thanks sapphire
Sapphire
ReplyDeleteyour one is such a little sweetie I can see why he is the subject of art and literature.
Here is the red capped plover
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-capped_Plover
happy days
Sapphire
ReplyDeleteand the pacific golden plover - also rather lovely and not at all mean looking like the regular ones I encountered which are also known as 'masked lapwing'
woops missed it
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Golden_Plover
happy days
Hi Delwyn
ReplyDeleteThank you for the two sites.
Red-capped plovers are very cute. They bear resemblance to ours. Their red caps are fashionable!
How great! Your son does have brilliant ideas!
ReplyDeleteA Plover defending like a mother lion, surely some sentiments and / or instincts are universal.
ReplyDeleteAlden
ReplyDeleteand she has spurs like lion's claws too...
Happy days