If you have spent any time on the sandy beaches of the Atlantic coast you know Sanderlings from their habit of running rapidly as they chase the edge of the surf in and out while feeding on tiny crustaceans in the sand.

This image shows a Sanderling in transition from its winter plumage (mostly gray) to its breeding plumage of rich reddish browns. I photographed it on a stopover in Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge during its long migration to its breeding grounds in the far reaches of the Northern Arctic.