Quite a pretty bird, one I had probably seen before, but never really paid attention to.  These were in the Saline Valley, one of the most remote and difficult-to-access locations in Death Valley National Park. These birds stand out to me now because someone I talked to said that these birds wandered in during a wet spring and never left;  that it was too far to the next body of water that was livable for them, and ultimately, they just began to live here throughout the year.  I know better now, however, there is no sense in throwing a good story like that away.

American Avocet