During the bus tour, someone spotted what seemed like a Piping Plover in the mud flats. The bus stopped, and a man with binoculars confirmed that it was, in fact, a Piping Plover. This would have been interesting, since the Piping Plover is an endangered bird that nests on Chinocteague. But it was not a Piping Plover, as Leen later confirmed with the assistance of a very close-up digital photo wintermute was able to take with his camera.

The problem with that kind of bird is that there are a skillion of them that look very very similar. You have to be keyed into specific markings to tell them apart. You can also tell by habitat, which was Leen's first tip-off, though she waited to look it up to be sure. Piping Plovers aren't normally found in mud flats.

The verdict? It was a Semi-Palmated Plover. Now you know.

S "just reporting what he's told" am