Only in Australia – Mini Schnauzer Dog versus Curlew Bird

Location: Shopping centre car park

Protagonist: A Mother Curlew

Supporting cast: Miniature Schnauzer Dog and Owners

Action: Curlew repeatedly confronts the Mini Schnauzer, screaming and batting its fully-spread wings. The Dog owners think this is mildly amusing. The Schnauzer is one minute brave, the next hesitant. The Bird follows the Schnauzer in a threatening manner, for around 3 minutes, before someone approaches:

Enter a uniformed bus driver heading home after finishing work:

“Leave the bird alone!”

“We are not touching the bird.”

“Step away from the Bird.”

“Listen, the Bird was the one attacking our dog.”

“Step away from the Bird!“

“We are not touching the bird.”

“I said leave the bird ALONE.”

Both creatures survived the encounter.

Curlew Conversation

“They have nasty claws.”

“Are you speaking from experience?“

“Yes, we used to put on hard hats to move around our workplace and run like hell, so the Curlews wouldn’t get us. They really hurt. They had a nest in our work compound that we had to pass to get anywhere.”

“It was just them just being super-protective, which is understandable. It was unfortunate that they decided to put their nest in the middle of our workplace.”

“I think Plovers are a bit the same?“

“But they screech…not mourn like the Curlews.”

“Given that they were just protecting their nest I understand their behaviour.”

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