March 1st 2007. Santa Cruz Flats, Pinal County, AZ.
Mountain Plover Charadrius montanus. c.60.

These Mountain Plovers were just part of a wonderful afternoon of birding in perfect conditions at Santa Cruz Flats. We (Pat Clark, Kerry Doyle, Susannah Lerman and myself) found at least 60 plovers in three seperate flocks, two of which merged together towards the end of the evening. Some of the birds came very close to the edge of the sod fields providing excellent views. In the same area, we enjoyed Merlin (Prairie form), Ferruginous Hawk, Long-billed Curlews, Burrowing Owls, Sage and Bendire's Thrashers, American Pipits, Horned Larks and Vesper Sparrows amongst many others.

Images taken using Canon Powershot A540 hand held through Swarovski HD telescope.

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