Western Sandpiper with Worm

A Western Sandpiper stops on the Washington Coast on a late April morning, and refuels on polychaetes, a type of marine worm, before continuing its migration to the Arctic Circle. Photographer Gregg Thompson noted that the sandpiper had to stand w-a-a-a-y on its tiptoes to pull the long worms out of the sand. See for yourself.

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Listen to BirdNote shows about Western Sandpipers:
Probing with Sandpipers
Chorus Line in the Sky
How Young Birds Migrate
Experience Wildness with Adrian Dorst
Counting Shorebirds for the Avian Knowledge Network

All photos © Gregg Thompson