Spotlight: A tale of two study sites with increasing shorebird numbers

Imagine. You are driving very slowly along the coast of Barr Al Hikman, a tropical intertidal ecosystem in Oman. You scan the high water line for flocks of shorebirds and marvel at the abundant birdlife. When the vehicle can go no further, you continue your scan on foot. You have even seen turtles, dolphins and whales while studying the birds at this amazing site. Now imagine that you are alone on an ocean beach in northern California. The water laps at the sand as you walk slowly, stopping occasionally to use your binoculars or spotting scope to scan for Snowy Plovers. It’s nesting season and you are visiting two to three times a week because you’ve detected nesting adults……….

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