Decked out in the finest

A Western Sandpiper at the Arcata Marsh. I've blipped the species once before, here in October 2012. Between the two images you can see the difference between its breeding and nonbreeding plumages, which is some snazzy coloration. Humboldt Bay is just thumping with migratory shorebirds--there were tens and tens of thousands of them out there this afternoon, frantically feeding on the mudflats. It is a breathtaking sight to behold.