Dunlin

Four Dunlin asleep on a raft of timber on 20 January 2020 at Boston Harbor, just north of Olympia, Washington. This was my second trip to the harbor in search of an illusive Harlequin Duck. All four had at least one eye open, a habit common among birds. Note the black legs. I suspect their breasts would appear darker if their necks were not twisted to their sides. Dunlin winter south through Mexico and Central America, and are also winter along the American coasts, even as far north as Alaska. They are common in western Washington They breed in the Arctic around the world; nonbreeders are found further south.