Sanderling - Ocean Shore, WA

When you think of those little sandpipers that rush down to the waterline to quickly poke their beaks in the sand, only to rush back up the beach before they get swamped, you are probably thinking of these guys. They have a very light, plain gray look in the winter and can be found on every sandy beach on just about every continent. In the summer they are found north of the arctic circle in the rusty red, checked plumage that keeps them hidden in the ground cover. This photo was taken at the breakwater as you enter Grays Harbor on the Ocean Shores side.