I Love Sanderlings. Does’t Everybody?
Whenever I’m on the beach, be it in Hilton Head or Tybee Island or even Michigan (in the summer) one of the cutest shorebirds is the Sanderling. Like some of the other shorebirds we’ve been talking about, the Sanderlings’ breeding grounds are as far north as you can get, then they migrate through the center of the U.S. and along the coasts, then winter up and down both coastlines and along the Gulf of Mexico. When we see them during non-breeding season they are colored with a pure white underneath and varied grays on top (during breeding season the males develop a rusty head and breast but you’d have to be way up north to see one like that).
These cute little birds rapidly run along the beach, often following the remnants of a wave as it recedes, poking its beak into the wet sand for insects and crustaceans. It’s amazing how fast they can run on those short stubby legs. Take a look at a few of my favorite Sanderling pics below.
Actually, this first one is not my pics but taken by Osprey60 who happened to be on Tybee Island, too. Looks like he was lying on the beach to get this great shot.
I don’t lye on the beach to take pics (too hard to get back up) but I was able to get some good shots of Sanderlings as they scampered around me. By the way, the farther you are from birds on the ground the more it looks like your shots were taken while lying on the ground.
Even Sanderlings have to rest and they find a sheltered place to gather together on the beach to hunker down for awhile. Here are some with another shorebird I featured the other day – can you remember which one (also know as the “calico” bird)?
One more beach bird to share soon – another favorite, the Black Skimmer.
Stay Safe. Go Birding. Take Pics. Share Here. Repeat.
Mike
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