Dunlin

I don't how many misses it took to get this Dunlin at my local shorebird spot, but it was certainly hundreds or thousands spread over a few years! Fortunately, this Arctic nester winters on San Francisco Bay in huge numbers (tens or hundreds of thousands), so I was able to keep after this most-desired topside bank shot. There aren't a lot of goof flight shots of this small and speedy species, and I think the curiously-raised head and direct eye contact make this as good as any I've seen. Now I need to get a breeding plumage frame to match.

San Mateo County, California, 1/21/19
Canon 600mm f/4 IS II on EOS 1D Mark IV
1/5000 at f/4, ISO 400