Birder hits the beach for a rare find

Birder Dan Sanders of Columbus looks through his binoculars to see whether he can spot a piping plover while walking the shoreline of Lake Erie in Port Clinton. According to the Audubon Field Guide, the piping plover, which is listed as a threatened or endangered species, has almost disappeared from the Great Lakes as a breeder and has declined in numbers elsewhere. A small plover with a very short bill, its pale back matches the sand beaches and alkali flats it inhabits.