Least Sandpiper and Reflection at Cedar Island NC

A Least Sandpiper, Calidris minutilla, searches for a meal along the beach at Cedar Island, North Carolina. Its likeness is reflected perfectly on the surface of the mirror like water of a tidal pool. The smallest of the sandpipers, they feed primarily on aquatic invertabrae. The fly thousands of mile to reach their breeding grounds in the Arctic. They are predominately found along mud flats and calm beaches. The yellow legs are a key factor in identifying this litte shorebird when compared to other small waders like the Semipalmated Sandpiper.