Dunlins - Meet Danny
 
About Me  Names Calidris alpina Dunlin Nickname: Danny Description I’m a medium-sized sandpiper. about 7” and I have a moderately short neck and a moderately long, drooping bill. Moderately long, blackish legs. Slightly hunched appearance. In breeding plumage I have a black belly, rufous cap, and rufous back. I’m a peep. My Album  Baby Picture  Class Photo  Favorite Foods  Insects Insect larvae Marine worms Mollusks Small crustaceans Learn More  www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/i2430id.htmlhttp://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/i2430id.htmlshapeimage_2_link_0
 
Its all about me! Hi, I’m Danny and I’m known as the snazzy sandpiper. I typically arrive first on the breeding grounds in the Arctic Circle. Pairs form when females arrive. I’ll start a few nest scrapes, which may be lined with grass, sedge, and willow leaves. The female chooses one and finishes the construction. Our nest is usually well hidden under a clump of grass or on a hummock. Both of us incubate the four eggs for 20 to 22 days. The young leave the nest shortly after hatching and find their own food. I spent the winter as far south Mexico, but often I spend the fall in Stone Harbor at the point. It’s a favorite spot! I eat insects and larvae, marine worms, small crustaceans, snails and small fish. Sometimes I’m called the "sewing machine" because of the way I bob my head up and down and I poke into the ground probing for food. I’m the most social of the sandpiper family. On my pointed, falcon-like wings, I can reach speeds of 110 miles per hour, way cool! Pets, children, and walkers can disturb shorebirds by approaching too closely. Respect us and give us room to forage and rest along coastal shorelines. Thanks, Danny I’m an arctic nester!