During our beach walk on 2 November 2019, a flock of shorebirds flew by and I noticed a golden-plover (Pluvialis sp.) among them. Although the sun was setting and the light was getting dim, a few photos came out well enough to share.
Note the golden coloration, especially noticeable on the back feathers:
The plover was feeding along the surf zone. Below are a few different positions and angles:
Although the next photo is a little blurry, it's not a bad comparison of a golden-plover (Pluvialis sp.) and a Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola). It's helpful that both birds are in the same position:
P.S. For anyone wondering, I haven't identified the golden-plover to species because I'm uncertain about the identification. I was leaning towards Pacific Golden-Plover (Pluvialis fulva) rather than American Golden-Plover (Pluvialis dominica) mostly based on the number of visible primaries (three? it's possible there were three on one side and four on the other) and the primary extension beyond the tail (relatively short?), but it was also difficult to judge those characters from my photos, so I've left it as golden-plover (Pluvialis sp.) for now. If you have thoughts about the i.d., I'd love any feedback.
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