Snowy Plovers

Today I spent some time with shorebirds in Bodega Harbor.  I was trying to find banded Snowy Plovers.  The Point Reyes Bird Observatory is interested in tracking known individuals.  During the past year I have seen about 10 different banded plovers -- some that were banded to the north (Humboldt, Oregon) and others that were banded to the south (Salinas, Vandenberg AFB near Lompoc).

Here are two Snowy Plover photos -- one close up, and another with bands (blue/aqua/blue on the left leg and white on the right leg).  This bird was banded at the Tahkenitch Area of the Oregon Dunes in 2010.

Thousands of shorebirds spend the winter in Bodega Harbor.  The last photo shows a flock of Dunlin (primarily) flying by during the flood tide.