Snowy Plovers

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Last week I drove back out to Lake Holbrook which is north of La Junta. The water level has been fairly low providing good shoreline that has been occupied by a number of shorebirds including several Snowy Plovers. I was lucky that these Snowy Plovers landed fairly close, maybe 30-40 feet from my car, where I was videotaping a large flock of Marbled Godwits that were further away.
Snowy Plovers are a species of conservation concern in Colorado so I am always delighted to see these little fast-running fluff balls. I was surprised to watch one of the Franklin's Gulls chase one of the Snowy Plovers away from the area where a number of these gulls were loafing. I can't imagine why this gull did this since these little plovers are so much smaller and cannot be a threat to them. SeEtta Moss

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