{"id":14357,"date":"2014-02-16T06:14:32","date_gmt":"2014-02-16T12:14:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=14357"},"modified":"2025-06-12T06:56:25","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T11:56:25","slug":"snowy-plover-on-a-sugar-sand-beach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/02\/16\/snowy-plover-on-a-sugar-sand-beach\/","title":{"rendered":"Snowy Plover On A Sugar Sand Beach"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter wp-image-148257 size-full\" title=\"Snowy Plover on a sugar sand beach, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-sand-mia-mcpherson-5202.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-sand-mia-mcpherson-5202.jpg\" alt=\"Snowy Plover on a sugar sand beach, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida\" width=\"900\" height=\"643\" data-id=\"14356\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27900%27%20height%3D%27643%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20900%20643%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27900%27%20height%3D%27643%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-sand-mia-mcpherson-5202-200x143.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-sand-mia-mcpherson-5202-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-sand-mia-mcpherson-5202-400x286.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-sand-mia-mcpherson-5202-600x429.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-sand-mia-mcpherson-5202-768x549.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-sand-mia-mcpherson-5202.jpg 900w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><span style=\"color: #888888;\">Snowy Plover on a sugar sand beach &#8211; Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1\/1250, ISO 250, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Shorebirds like this tiny Snowy Plover\u00a0on a sugar sand beach were my &#8220;spark&#8221; birds when it comes to my bird photography and\u00a0they are what made my passion for bird photography catch fire. This young Snowy Plover was photographed in Florida in 2008 at Fort De Soto County Park&#8217;s north beach. Snowy Plovers do breed in Florida locations but struggle for survival\u00a0because of\u00a0habitat destruction, people and their pets. They are listed with the IUCN as a species of Least Concern and the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.westernsnowyplover.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Western Snowy Plover<\/a><\/span> is listed as\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.fws.gov\/arcata\/es\/birds\/wsp\/plover.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Threatened<\/a><\/span> in\u00a0several states.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Interesting fact: When the chicks are about to hatch the female Snowy Plover leaves the male to do the brooding and attempts to find another male to breed with. It is the male who watches over the chicks after hatching.<\/p>\n<p>Small, delicate and beautiful, Snowy Plovers are always a treat to see and photograph.<\/p>\n<p>Life <em>is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n<p>Mia<\/p>\n<p>Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/snowy-plover-images\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Snowy Plover photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Shorebirds like this tiny Snowy Plover on a sugar sand beach were my &#8220;spark&#8221; birds when it comes to my bird photography and they are what made my passion for bird photography catch fire. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":148257,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,25,704,2000,266],"tags":[4191,4039,2354,5132,4035,5841,275,4017,274,3978,2315],"class_list":["post-14357","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-florida","category-fort-de-soto-county-park","category-pinellas-county-florida","category-snowy-plovers","tag-anarhynchus-nivosus","tag-beach","tag-beach-habitat","tag-coastal","tag-nature-photography","tag-plover","tag-plovers","tag-sand","tag-shorebirds-2","tag-snowy-plover","tag-summer-3"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-sand-mia-mcpherson-5202.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-3Jz","jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6599,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/11\/18\/the-ant-slaying-snowy-plover\/","url_meta":{"origin":14357,"position":0},"title":"The Ant Slaying Snowy Plover","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 18, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"While photographing this Snowy Plover in June of 2008 I was able to observe the tiny shorebird snatch an ant from the sugar sand of the north beach of Fort De Soto.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Florida&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Florida","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/florida\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Snowy Plover with ant, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-ant-mia-mcpherson-5192.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-ant-mia-mcpherson-5192.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-ant-mia-mcpherson-5192.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-ant-mia-mcpherson-5192.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9162,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/08\/09\/snowy-plovers-north-americas-smallest-plover\/","url_meta":{"origin":14357,"position":1},"title":"Snowy Plovers &#8211; North America&#8217;s Smallest Plover","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 9, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"A while back I did a post on the Least Sandpiper which is the world's smallest sandpiper so I thought I would do a post about North America's smallest plover, the Snowy Plover.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Snowy Plover in seashells at Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-seashells-mia-mcpherson-6562.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-seashells-mia-mcpherson-6562.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-seashells-mia-mcpherson-6562.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-seashells-mia-mcpherson-6562.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9505,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/09\/20\/snowy-plover-on-a-late-september-morning\/","url_meta":{"origin":14357,"position":2},"title":"Snowy Plover On A Late September Morning","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 20, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I photographed this Snowy Plover one September morning in Florida and it was actually cool that day... for Florida.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Snowy Plover warming in the sun, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-beach-mia-mcpherson-2698.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-beach-mia-mcpherson-2698.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-beach-mia-mcpherson-2698.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-beach-mia-mcpherson-2698.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":38424,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/04\/16\/a-fort-de-soto-snowy-plover\/","url_meta":{"origin":14357,"position":3},"title":"A Fort De Soto Snowy Plover","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 16, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"This Gulf Coast Snowy Plover was photographed at Fort De Soto County Park in Florida and the park was the first place I had ever photographed this species.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Gulf Coast Snowy Plover, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-resting-mia-mcpherson-3156.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-resting-mia-mcpherson-3156.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-resting-mia-mcpherson-3156.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-resting-mia-mcpherson-3156.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1106,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2010\/10\/16\/shorebirds-of-fort-desoto-the-plovers\/","url_meta":{"origin":14357,"position":4},"title":"Shorebirds of Fort DeSoto &#8211; The Plovers","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 16, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Throughout the year you can see and photograph many different species of Plovers on Fort De Soto\u2019s beaches, tidal lagoons and spartina marshes.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Black-bellied Plovers&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Black-bellied Plovers","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/shorebirds\/black-bellied-plovers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Semipalmated Plover in early morning light, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/semipalmated-plover-mia-mcpherson-fort-desoto-5817.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/semipalmated-plover-mia-mcpherson-fort-desoto-5817.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/semipalmated-plover-mia-mcpherson-fort-desoto-5817.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/semipalmated-plover-mia-mcpherson-fort-desoto-5817.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2748,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/07\/12\/snowy-plover-resting-at-the-wrack-line\/","url_meta":{"origin":14357,"position":5},"title":"Snowy Plover Resting At The Wrack Line","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 12, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"I spotted this plover resting near the wrack line near the Gulf of Mexico during the winter and sand-crawled up close to it to get a low angle in the beautiful light.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Florida&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Florida","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/florida\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Snowy Plover on the wrack line, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-resting-wrack-line-mia-mcpherson-3290.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-resting-wrack-line-mia-mcpherson-3290.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-resting-wrack-line-mia-mcpherson-3290.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-plover-resting-wrack-line-mia-mcpherson-3290.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14357","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14357"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14357\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/148257"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}