G’Day Mob,
Here is a photo of a door.
Now before you roll your eyes, think “this is going to be a boring post” and click back to Facebook, have a closer look. Can you spot the inherent danger?
Let me highlight it for you:
There, on the light above our back door, is a nest of very ugly willie wagtail babies.
So what is dangerous about willie wagtail babies?
Willie wagtail mammas….
Every time we want to enter or exit the house we are under attack. Mamma and papa wagtail sit on top of the door ready to swoop.
They hit our hats, knock off sunglasses and according to one so-called friend, who shall remain nameless, mistake my messy hair for their nest. We have been enduring this torment for weeks but as the parents have attacked, the babies have grown and they are no longer ugly.
In fact today they took wing
I’m not sure if I will miss them or not.
Rocky Springs Rambles 
It’s a good thing you survived to fight another day:)
Taking the photos was hazardous. I think I have peck marks on the back of my head. 🙂
Haha that something so small and cute can be this “dangerous” and annoying will always baffle me!
They certainly have a lot of spunk for such a little creature. It is nothing for them to be in the paddock harassing a one tonne bull.
Mandy, this just adds weight to the impression some people have that we Aussies live under almost constant threat of injury — or even death — from a vast array of vicious animals, including crocodiles, snakes, sharks, dingos, spiders, etc, waiting to jump out on us and do us in. Even the male platypus can jab with you with a venomous spur, which causes severe pain. And now you’re telling us that those cute-looking willy wagtails have a callous side to their character!
But don’t you feel just a little bit secretly proud of our vicious wildlife? It helps to give us a bit of charisma when we’re talking to people from other countries (except Kiwis).
Snakes, sharks, crocodiles, box jellyfish, wagtails and kiwis: crikeys mate!
Thanks Mandy! Those Willie Wagtails are insecticidal maniacs! I take comfort from the fact that although Australia is home to the ten most venomous snakes, the most venomous jellyfish, the two most venomous octopus, the most venomous spiders, the most venomous shellfish, the most venomous fish, the most venomous mammal and the most venomous tree- you’re statistically far more likely to be killed by your spouse than all those creatures combined- and I’m single.
We appreciate their insecticidal maniac tendencies – we have a lot less mozzies around the back door now.
What a crack up Mandy. I don’t think they will make the Deadly 60 list although you do make them sound quite vicious.They are so cute and still my favourite little bird.
And do you know what? The babies are camped in the crepe myrtle by the clothes line and so now we can’t go out the laundry door without being attacked!
That’s horrible! Birds can be shocking squatters! There’s some plovers at home that prevent me from walking down the driveway. Willy wagtails are my favourite common bird though, they’re (usually) so happy! 🙂
Usually they are very happy however I think Ma and Pa are a little stressed at the moment.