I have several birding books and an equal number of birding apps, but my go-to book is Bob Morse’s BIRDS of the Puget Sound. It’s a small handbook (about the size of a hand) and contains short, but helpful, descriptions of the birds, where they are most apt to be found, and habits. My experience with Black-Bellied Plovers at Ft. Flagler seemed an experience right out of a textbook.
His book states that they can be found in “mudflats,”
short grass,
and beaches.
Under Diet and Behavior, the book states “Birds spread out to feed but roost in groups, often flocking with other shorebirds, especially Dunlin.
I’ll have to admit that I didn’t really see the Plovers mixed in with the Dunlin until I brought the shots up on screen. It’s a great place to get lost in a crowd.