Spotted on the sea coast

 

Not a great shot, but the only one I got of a Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia) on the outer coast of Bodega Head on 28 July 2012.  

They're listed as a rare migrant on Bodega Head, and an uncommon resident of Sonoma County.  Although there are nesting records along the Russian River, this sandpiper is not often seen on Bodega Head itself (I've only seen a few).  Their winter range extends along the Pacific Coast from southern British Columbia to central Argentina.

Note the bold black spots on the breast and belly, the black bars on the upper feathers, and the orange bill with black tip — all indicators that this individual is still in breeding plumage.

According to The Dictionary of American Bird Names (Choate, revised by Paynter, 1985), the genus Actitis comes from the Greek aktites = "a dweller on the sea coast."