Mountain and Snowy Plovers

Today Dawn V and I drove to South Beach State Park, just south of Newport, to look for the Mountain Plover that has been hanging around there for weeks with a flock of Snowy Plovers. We trained our binoculars up and down the beach and quickly saw a bevy of little shorebirds north of the trail from the parking area. We walked closer and there was our Mountain Plover, keeping company with a little flock of Snowy Plovers. Farther out toward the ocean were a few Sanderlings running up and down as they like to do, with a few Snowy Plovers trying to keep up with them. The Mountain Plover was much bigger than his Snowy friends. My photos were taken at a distance in light rain (so they're lousy... but numerous.)

Mountain Plover top, Snowy Plover bottom in both  these photos

Mtn. Plover center, Snowies right and left

Snowy Plover

Snowy Plover

Sanderling left, 3 Snowies right

Mountain Plover

Mountain Plover

Mtn. Plover

Mtn. Plover

Mtn. Plover