Killdeer

The killdeer is a species of North American plover that I often see, but have a difficult time getting good photos of. They tend to run or fly quickly all-the-while screaming, "baby, baby, baby," or at least that's what I have understood them to be saying from my youth as they try to lead you away from a nest. I've posted one semi-blurry photo in one post. Since that post I've gotten a few better photos that I share.

These first two photos, my best, are from Bitter Lake NWR near Roswell, NM. The killdeer has a distinct black eye with a red rim around it. This photo was taken shortly after some heavy rains. 

These next three photos are from McDonald Road in Niland, CA near the Salton Sea. I've seen many killdeer there and have gotten very few photos of them. 

These last three are my most recent, taken at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge near Brigham City, Utah in June. 

I like this head-on shot with the wide white stripe between the eyes.