Rock Sandpiper
Calidris ptilocnemis

f6.7 @ 1/800s, ISO:1600, Nikon D3S w 500mm and 1.7X teleconverter

\"Rock Sandpiper,\" Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The rock sandpiper is a small shorebird. Adults have short yellow legs and a medium thin dark bill. The body is dark on top with a slight purplish gloss and mainly white underneath. The breast is smeared with grey and the rump is black. The Pribilof Islands subspecies of this bird shows a bold black belly patch. Their breeding habitat is the northern tundra on Arctic Pacific coast of Alaska and the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands. The birds also breed in Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands. The breeding pair is usually monogamous, with pair bonds usually lasting several years. They nest on the ground either elevated on rocks or in lower damp location. The males makes several scrapes; the female choose one and lays 4 eggs. Both the male and female take the responsibility for incubation.

St. Paul, Pribilof Islands, Alaska

06/22/2016