A tiny Piping Plover watches attentively as a big-footed metal-detecting visitor combs the nearby sands of Salisbury Beach in Massachusetts in search of treasures this past August. The little bird waited until the treasure hunter passed by to continue its foraging. To us, the real treasure there was the presence of these adorable little birds, considered uncommon by Sibley Guide to Birds as their worldwide population is under 10,000 birds.