They’re hard to find. They summer on the mid-west plains, wandering about on the short grass prairie. They winter in the south; sometimes seen in the Rio Grande Valley, but they’re hard to spot. They’re light brown birds that like to stand in plowed furrows, looking like dirt clods. We got a hot lead on wintering mountain plovers in Southern Arizona last weekend. We gave it a good effort, staring at dirt clods, waiting for one to move, but no luck. We did, however, stumble onto a pair of burrowing owls standing next to an irrigation ditch! 
A total surprise!
A total surprise!