These are not the best pictures, as the Mountain Plovers were some distance from the road, were hunkered down, and my camera does not have a serious zoom lens. But still identifiable.
Mountain Plovers (Charadrius montanus), Robinson Road, Solano County, California - 10 December 2012. Linked to eBird checklist here:
ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S12266542
Six or so in plowed field. Distant view.
With luck and a careful approach they might stay within scope viewing distance but rarely within photography range. The group flushed and landed a 100 yards or so from where they took off. We had hardly moved when they flushed again and circled over us which is how the flight shots were taken and how I'm confident they're the same flock
Originally posted with https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/3024512 But as it's a separate organism I made a new observation.
I followed this badger to a burrow, and waited for it to emerge. I sat down still, and it seemed pretty tolerant.