I know I’ve promised photos of the chicks I’ve seen on the tundra, and have yet to share anything. I’ll admit, photographing these little things is a lot more challenging than I had imagined. They seem to never stop moving, and if you don’t keep a keen eye trained to them at all times, they hunker under some grass, no longer to be seen.

I have had a bit of luck, mainly with chicks that are a bit older. One thing I like about looking at lone chicks, is the exercise of identifying the bird. It is a bit tricky, but it forces you to pay attention to certain helpful traits, and ignore body plumage altogether. The first thing I noticed about the young Pectoral Sandpiper pictured above, is the distinctive bill. Pale at the base, dark at the tip, with a slight down curve, thinning at the end. Obviously a Pec!