Spotted Sandpiper

This particular Spotted Sandpiper is usually sitting on a fence post when I see it. This time, it flew down to the edge of the slough, SW of Calgary, on 12 June 2013.

"Their breeding habitat is near fresh water across most of Canada and the United States. They migrate to the southern United States and South America, and are very rare vagrants to western Europe. These are not gregarious birds and are seldom seen in flocks.

Spotted Sandpipers nest on the ground. During each summer breeding season, females may mate with and lay clutches for more than one male, leaving incubation to them. This is called polyandry. Male parents of first clutches may father chicks in later male's clutchs, probably due to sperm storage within female reproductive tracts, which is common in birds. Females that fail to find additional mates usually help incubate and rear chicks." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_Sandpiper

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/spotted_sandpiper/id