I saw pedestrians swear at plovers when they swooped. But I admired the birds

The Guardian reports the following. EcoBriefing is republishing it as an attributed briefing, not as independently confirmed fact. If this item is false or incomplete, the responsibility sits with The Guardian, which released it. Many people despise these birds for violently defending their babies in nests they create in ridiculously vulnerable areas. My community, however, became devoted to them It was early September when the two spur-winged plover chicks hatched. They hit the ground running, literally. Shortly after emerging from the speckled brown eggs their mother had laid in a shallow divot, they were scurrying around on their disproportionately long, stilt-like legs. They looked like fluffy brown and white cotton balls that could blow away in the wind. Continue reading... Original link: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/sep/26/birds-plovers-masked-lapwing-chicks-nesting-australia