George Sanker / Greater yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) standing on rock. Acadia National Park, Maine, USA. September.

Markus Varesvuo / Curlew sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) standing on rock, Finland, July

Markus Varesvuo / Curlew sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) standing on rock, Finland, July

Markus Varesvuo / Curlew sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) sleeping, Finland, August

Wild Wonders of Europe / Damschen / Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) on rock, Elbe Biosphere Reserve, Lower Saxony, Germany, September 2008

Marie Read / Wilson's Phalaropes (Phalaropus tricolor) flock flying over tufa formations at Mono Lake in late summer, with reflection, California, USA. July 2013. Mono Lake is an important staging site for sho...

Marie Read / Wilson's Phalaropes (Phalaropus tricolor) large flock on the shore at Mono Lake in late summer, California, USA. July. Mono Lake is an important staging site (stopover site) for migrating shorebir...

Markus Varesvuo / Purple sandpiper (Calidris maritima) on rocks. Uto, Paragas, Finland. January.

George Sanker / Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) at water's edge. Beaver Pond, Acadia National Park, Maine, USA.

Nick Upton / Ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres) roosting on volcanic rock behind a beach at high tide, Costa de Papagayo, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, February.

Dave Bevan / Common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) perched on a rocky outcrop with the sea in the background, Turnstones (Arenaria interpres) foraging amongst seaweed nearby, Ceredigion, Wales, UK, November.

Alan Murphy/ BIA / Rock Sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis) juvenile, Alaska

Jussi Murtosaari / Temminck's stint (Calidris temminckii) on rock with reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in background, Finland, July.

Jussi Murtosaari / Eurasian rock pipit (Anthus petrosus), with Redshank (Tringa totanus), Finland, April.

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) on rock, Oman, March

Roger Powell / Eurasian curlew (Numenius arquata) walking along tideline. Holy Island, Northumberland, UK, March.

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Curlew (Numenius arquata) taking off from rock in wintry moorland habitat, Scotland, UK, April.

Gerrit Vyn / Rock Sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis ptilocnemis) juvenile of the Pribilof Island race in breeding plumage, St. George Island, Alaska, USA, July

Gerrit Vyn / Rock Sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis ptilocnemis) adult in breeding pluage, of the Pribilof Island race, St. George Island, Alaska, USA July

Gerrit Vyn / Rock Sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis ptilocnemis) nest and eggs, Pribilof Island race, St. George Island, Alaska, USA July

Gerrit Vyn / Rock Sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis ptilocnemis) adult in breeding pluage, of the Pribilof Island race, St. George Island, Alaska, USA July

Jussi Murtosaari / Temminck's stint (Calidris temminckii) group of three adults, Uto, Finland

Ole Jorgen Liodden / Rock sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis) on shore with water splashing around it, Commander Island, Russia, Septemebr.

Ole Jorgen Liodden / Ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres interpre) walking along rock, Norway, June.

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Common greenshank (Tringa nebularia) perched on rock, Oman, August.

Ernie Janes / Dunlin (Calidris alpina) feeding in coastal pool, Norfolk, February.

Dong Lei / Solitary Snipe (Gallinago solitaria) on rocks, Labahe National Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province, China, Asia

Robin Chittenden / Redshank (Tringa totanus) on rock in water, Norfolk, England, UK, January

Loic Poidevin / Ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres) standing on rock at waters edge, Atlantic coast, France, December.

Markus Varesvuo / Wood sandpiper (Tringa glareola) on rock in water, Uto, Finland, July.

Markus Varesvuo / Common snipe (Gallinago gallinago) on rock, Uto, Finland, August.

Brent Stephenson / Adult male Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) in breeding plumage, resting on a rock on the shoreline. St Malo, Brittany, France. September.

Terry Whittaker / Redshank (Tringa totanus) standing on rock calling, Flatey Island, Iceland, July.

Terry Whittaker / Red-necked phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) on rock, Iceland, July.

David Tipling / Eskimo Curlew (Numenius borealis) drawing by James Audubon for Birds of America. Critically endangered species.

Robin Chittenden / Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) standing on rock, Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK, August

Filippo Nucifora / Rock Sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis), Alaska

Robert Royse / Rock Sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis), Alaska

Jacob S. Spendelow / Rock Sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis), Alaska

David Kjaer / Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) on rock. Speyside, Scotland, April.

Markus Varesvuo / Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) perched on rock, calling, Ristiina, Finland, May

Markus Varesvuo / Mixed flock of Dunlin (Calidris alpina) Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea), Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) and Golden Plover (Pluvialis apricaria) gathered on exposed rock, on coastline, Finland July

Gerrit Vyn / Rock Sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis) on tundra in breeding plumage (subspecies C. p. tschuktschorum) Seward Peninsula, Alaska, USA, June.

Oriol Alamany / Rock sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis) portrait, Saint Paul Island, Pribilof Islands, Alaska, USA

Oriol Alamany / Rock sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis) on rock, Saint Paul Island, Pribilof Islands, Alaska, USA

Andy Sands / Common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) perched on rock, Upper Teesdale, Co Durham, England, UK.

David Kjaer / Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) perched on rock in water, Speyside, Scotland, UK

Steve Knell / Wood sandpiper (Tringa glareola) partially hidden behind rock. Sweden, May

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Common sandpiper {Actitis hypoleucos} on rock in water with reflection, Muscat, Oman

Niall Benvie / Common sandpiper {Actitis hypoleucos} perched on a rock, May, Songli, Sør-Trøndelag, Norway

Paul Hobson / Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima) on rock, Yorkshire coast, uk

Paul Hobson / Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima) on rock, Yorkshire coast, uk

Tom Vezo / Spotted sandpiper {Actitis macularia} in winter plumage standing on rock, Long Island, New York, USA

Tom Vezo / Spotted sandpiper {Actitis macularia} in breeding plumage standing on rock, Long Island, New York, USA

Steve Knell / Common sandpiper {Actitis hypoleucos} on rock, Scotland, UK.

Tom Vezo / Rock Sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis) standing on rock, Nome, Alaska

Mike Read / Purple sandpiper (Calidris maritima) feeding in a rock pool, Portland Bill, Isle of Portland, Jurassic Coast, Dorset, England, UK. February.

Mike Read / Purple sandpiper (Calidris maritima) feeding in a rock pool, Portland Bill, Isle of Portland, Jurassic Coast, Dorset, England, UK. February.

Jose Luis GOMEZ de FRANCISCO / Common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) standing on rock, Spain

Jose Luis GOMEZ de FRANCISCO / Common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) standing on rock, Spain

David Tipling / Purple sandpiper (Calidris maritima) landing on rock as wave crashes over it, Baltasound, Shetland, Scotland, UK, November.

David Tipling / Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima) landing on rock as wave crashes over it, Baltasound, Shetland, Scotland, UK, November.

Robin Chittenden / Sanderling (Calidris alba) in breeding plumage, walking over shingle beach, Winterton, Norfolk, UK. August.

Jussi Murtosaari / Common redshank (Tringa totanus) male chasing female along rocky shore, Finland, May.

Bernard Castelein / Common snipe (Gallinago gallinago) perched on rock, Runde, Norway. June.

Bernard Castelein / Common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) percghed on rock, calling, Runde, Norway. June.

Pal Hermansen / Sanderling (Calidris alba) perched on rock. Laakso national park, Glomfjellet, Norway. July.

Roger Powell / Common redshank (Tringa totanus) resting at shoreline, on seaweed covered rock. Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve, Northumberland, UK. March.

Roger Powell / Common redshank (Tringa totanus) resting at shoreline, with feathers blowing backwards in wind. Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve, Northumberland, UK. March.

Roger Powell / Two Red knots (Calidris canutus), in winter plumage, searching for food in tidal pool. Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve, Northumberland, UK. January.

Roger Powell / Red knot (Calidris canutus), in winter plumage, consuming food from tidal pool. Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve, Northumberland, UK. January.

Roger Powell / Red knot (Calidris canutus), in winter plumage, searching for food in tidal pool. Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve, Northumberland, UK. January.

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Dipper (Cinclus cinclus) standing on rock at water's edge, singing, Scotland, UK. March.

Roger Powell / Bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica) feeding on a lugworm in a tidal pool, Holy Island Nature Reserve, Northumberland, UK. February.

Roger Powell / Bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica) feeding on a lugworm in a tidal pool, Holy Island Nature Reserve, Northumberland, UK. February.

Roger Powell / Bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica) pulling out a lugworm from a tidal pool, Holy Island Nature Reserve, Northumberland, UK. February.

Konrad Wothe / Dunlin (Calidris alpina) in winter plumage walking over rounded stones, Iceland. March.

Markus Varesvuo / Purple sandpiper (Calidris maritima) on rock, covered in sea spray. Uto, Finland. January.

Oscar Dewhurst / Ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres) perched on seaweed covered rock. Durham, UK. February.

Oscar Dewhurst / Red knot (Calidris canutus) in winter plumage standing on seaweed-covered rock. Durham, UK. February.