Max Malmquist stares into the southern edge of Great Salt Lake, his dad at his side, eyes drawn in the same direction. That’s when they spot it: a Snowy Plover. Small and as sandy in color as the dry lakebed beneath it, the bird is difficult to see, but they’ve spotted it, nonetheless. Max’s dad, Mike, draws on a sheet of paper—a single mark for the single bird. It’s August at Great Salt Lake which means persistent bugs, rolling desert heat, and most importantly, migrating shorebirds. Max and his dad have been out since the early morning hours, early enough to catch the sunrise and the setting of a full moon. This, however, is what they’re here for: the count. 13168 Another hundred or so volunteers spread across the 1700 square miles of Great Salt Lake and its associated wetlands, walking the shoreline while keeping track of every shorebird, not just Snowy Plovers. Along with them, numerous biologists from the Utah Division of Natural Resources and other state...