Plovers: Blacksmith, Crowned, Wattled, Longtoed Plovers
Read MoreBlacksmith Plover (F) with Chicks-1st image
1st Image: A Blacksmith Plover (F) with her chicks scurrying to hide under her wing. One is almost hidden--only its rear half is exposed--and one is still about six inches away. These chicks are only about 2 days old. [Khwai, Botswana].
Blacksmith Plover (F) with Chicks-2nd image
2nd image: Blacksmith Plover (F) with her 2-day-old chicks. A chick's beak can be seen protruding from beneath its mother's L wing (black-pointed object), a second chick--except for its rear end--is nestling under her R wing, and the third hurries to join them. (Please see previous image). [Khwai, Botswana].
Blacksmith Plover Chicks-Three 2-day olds-3rd Image
Blacksmith Plover Chicks-3rd Image: Three 2-day olds: They had already buried themselves under their mother's feathers, when she suddenly, with one stroke of her wings, lifted herself off the water and flew across the pond to join her mate. The bewildered chicks suddenly found themselves completely exposed. But what a wonderful, rare photo-op of such very young chicks! [Khwai, Botswana].
Blacksmith Plover (M)-4th Image
4th image: The father of the 3 Blacksmith Plover chicks makes a beautiful reflection as he bends over the water. [Khwai, Botswana].
A group of Blacksmith Plovers at the water's edge. Some are wading.The bird gets its name from the 'klink, klink, klink' sound it makes that sounds like a blacksmith's hammer. The fact that the dozen are here together suggests that they are not in a breeding phase, like the pair with three chicks in the first four images.