Last week while leading a photo workshop in warm and sunny Florida, I was walking down a long stretch of beach with my group of photographers in tow. The sun had just come up spreading a warm yellowish glow across the sand and the crashing waves at the shore. A warm breeze blew in from the ocean keeping any bugs away. It was a picture-perfect morning. The very first bird we spotted were two tiny Snowy Plovers standing in the sand. These beautiful little birds seemed to be enjoying the tranquil moment that the morning sun was offering. The entire group was able to lay down in the warm sand to capture some eye-level images. It is estimated that there are only about 31,000 breeding pairs of Snowy Plovers in the wild. In 1993 it was listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. We were all feeling very appreciative to have spent a few minutes with these uncommon birds and capture some amazing images.