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Piping Plover (Charadrius melodis)
Above and below: A Piping Plover lingers on Assateague Island, Maryland (11/7/2009). This bird was feeding at the surf line, shaking a foot repeatedly to stir up its tiny prey items.
Below: A Piping Plover feeds in the surf on Assateague Island, Maryland (5/14/2010).
These top three photos show a truly strange sighting--a Piping Plover in the mountains.
This
western MD first was photographed at Rocky Gap SP on Apr 30 and May 1, 2005.
Below: Not quite the expected habitat.
Non-breeding plumage, photographed in southern Florida in Feb 2005.
Excellent camouflage - On Assateague Island, Maryland
Below: Two Piping Plovers forage out on the flats of Laguna Madre, South Padre Island, Texas (8/4/2007). They're molting from breeding to nonbreeding plumage, but the yellowish orange legs simplify eliminating Snowy Plover from the ID.
