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Mountain plovers are sleek, earth-toned, fast-flying birds that breed in upland shortgrass prairies and intermountain valleys and winter in the American Southwest. Their numbers are declining, and a substantial portion of the population winters in southern California. These were in a huge, freshly-plowed field in the San Jacinto Valley southeast of Riverside. Normally mountain plovers are rather shy; some of these were surprisingly confiding but it amazed me how easily they could vanish simply by squatting behind a few dirt clods. To get these photos I approached slowly on foot. If I didn't get too close (in which case they would move away a few feet), they sat quietly, occasionally peering up into the sky. The pictures were taken on different days, and the variation in sun angle (early morning to mid-morning) had a striking effect on coloration. More pictures are on another page.
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