Masked Lapwing Plover

Very territorial, and a don't come any further glance accompanied with a loud shriek (from the plover that is), if I tried.  My original plan had been to sit near the waters edge and photograph some more Darters and Cormorants. 

A pair of Plovers in potential attack-mode kept me at a safe distance.  They were no doubt protecting a clutch of eggs or young ones somewhere near.  Their eggs are not easy to spot, since they blend into the ground very easily, even though they'll lay them in a makeshift shallow scraping of turf or dirt out in the open.

Now you can see those spurs at the base of each wing.

they actually look quite sharp don't they?

Something amazing  .... according to Birds in Backyards fact-sheet here: The young birds are born with a full covering of down and are able to leave the nest and feed themselves a few hours after hatching.  

This clutch was sited right alongside a concrete walking path at Sth. Tacoma, on the Central Coast, while the front-end of a parked vehicle, was all but hovering over the top of them!