An exceptional close-up of a Great Knot in its strikingly patterned breeding plumage. Photographed at eye level along a tide line at Tho Quang - Da Nang, this magnificent wader is focused on pulling a tiny meal from the sand. The fine detail beautifully showcases the bird's heavily spotted chest and back. Notably, this individual is marked with a bright yellow plastic leg band, identifying it as a subject in an ongoing migratory and population health research project.