My voice recognition software thinks this bird is called "Roxanne Piper." Breeding in the high Arctic, this rarity first settled in for the the winter, arriving in early November last year and remaining until April. It returned to the exact same spot this year In a nice example of winter philopatry, Last Fall it showed retained juvenile tertials and wing coverts crisply outlined in white, indicating an immature in formative plumage. Now it is a full adult in definitive basic (non-breeding) plumage lacking the contrasting juvenile wing panel. This plumage is tricky to distinguish from Purple Sandpiper (C. maritima), an accidental visitor to California. However, note the rusty shaft streaks to the scapular feathers visible in this photo confirming adult Rock Sandpiper and eliminating Purple.
