Like Peanut Butter and Sardines

The dream I had just before awakening this morning might have received a PG-13 rating had it been on a screen. Amidst the backdrop of a tawdry, soap-opera-esque, melodrama was a scene or two devoted to birds.

"Mongolian"/Lesser Sand-Plover (Charadrius mongolus)
Photo Copyright - KK Hui

Greater Sand-Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii)
Photo Copyright 2004 - Graham Catley

This dream contained photos of birds - yet another first for me. Somehow, I had aquired four or five polaroids featuring two species between them. Unfortunately, they were wanting for quality - so the IDs were up in the air. One appeared to be either a "Mongolian"/Lesser Sand-Plover, or a Greater Sand-Plover. Again, it was a fairly poor photo. The second species was also a plover, hunkered down in sand or mud. It appeared to be one of the smaller species sporting a single complete band around the upper breast. Wilson's Plover, Collared Plover and Long-billed Plover are the most likely candidates. To be honest, I only have field experience with Wilson's and incidental book knowledge of Collared. Never heard of Long-billed before writing this post.

Wilson's Plover (Charadrius wilsonia)
Photo Copyright 2007 - Pascal Aleixandre

Collared Plover (Charadrius collaris)
Photo Copyright - Christian Artuso

Long-billed Plover (Charadrius placidus)
Photo Copyright 2002 - Dick Newell

Just before the dream ended, we passed a stock tank. Spotting a Killdeer, I attempted to point out some similarities and differences between it and the birds in the photos. Might as well have been with goats by the reaction - or lack of it. Did I mention most of the drama took place on a bus, or RV? Travelling this way is probably great in the real world, but I don't recommend it for dreambirding - especially when you're stuck with a group that could've been the rejects from the "Bad Girls Club", or "Rock of Love"... like peanut butter and sardines... *shudder*.

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)
Photo Copyright 2007 - Nick Kontonicolas