Sanderlings are one of my favorite shore birds. We were in Virginia Beach, quite a long time ago now. One of the most entertaining times was to see the Sanderlings walking along the edge of the surf. We see them in small flocks running at full speed, escaping the incoming waves as they scurry along, trying to grab any morsel within their reach. It is a glorious synchronization of movement and is also a comical yet heartwarming sight. Their little legs a blur of motion. Olympic sprinters of the bird-world.
Before the waves return, their beaks continuously disappear into the sand, always seeming to be in a feeding frenzy, eager for a tasty morsel before the water once again overtakes them. Sanderlings feed on mollusks and crustaceans, like the mole crab (Emerita analoga). I remember my Mother-in-law showing me a mole crab on one of my first visits down to the beach. They burrow deep into the sand where she retrieved one, and as she gently placed it into the palm of my hand, I felt its tiny legs tickle as it tried to escape. We placed it carefully on the sand where it disappeared immediately. This little creatures started my fascination with its kind. Years later I dug them up myself and introduced them to young visitors. It was fun watching their eyes light up. The little girls were occasionally revolted but hopefully the seeds were being planted. If you want to see what a Mole Crab looks like you can click here.
Sanderlings breed in the high Arctic and winter along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts from Canada to Argentina. They are described as a starling-sized shorebird - 8" (20 cm) - with a conspicuous white wing stripe. Some adults have a rufous head and breast with a white belly. In winter the rufous areas are replaced by pale gray underpart, and the birds look almost white. Their bill and legs are black.
Nesting: 4 olive eggs, spotted with brown, placed in a hollow on the ground lined with grasses and lichens. Some female Sanderlings will lay a clutch of eggs but instead of sitting on them, she will give this job to her mate. She will then go off and lay a second batch of eggs that she incubates herself. And if nesting conditions are just right, she may even hook up with another neighboring male and lay a third clutch of eggs, which the new male will take care of.
Their voice sounds like a sharp kip and they have a conversational chatter while feeding. If you would like to hear what one sounds like, you can visit this page here and scroll down to below the black outline of the bird on the left.
One of the most widespread of all shorebirds, the Sanderling turns up on almost every beach in the world. As a wave comes roaring in, the birds run up on the beach just ahead of the breaker, then spring after retreating water to feed on those tiny crustaceans and mollusks mentioned, that are left exposed.
The babies can feed themselves from the first day, but the parents - or parent - still needs to remain with them to keep them warm. During the day the young ones feed on the north country's abundant supply of insects, while at night they snuggle up to the adult.
Around three weeks of nonstop baby-sitting, the adult birds leave. The young ones are now on their own. After several days of milling around with the other juveniles, their instinct to migrate takes over. They leave their nesting grounds and head off to a place they have never been before, which in many cases is Cape Cod.
Out of the breeding season Sanderlings are gregarious birds. They feed together in small flocks and roost together in larger ones. Most Sanderlings get along quite well but there are a few birds that can become quite testy with each other. Both males and females will defend their food and are constantly chasing others away from their feeding areas, even when the food supply is enough for everyone.
I have read that the Sanderling population is in trouble and as our beaches become more and more popular with people, off-road-vehicles, dogs and birders, the birds are finding fewer places where they can eat and rest.
I hope these little birds are with us for a very long time. All these photos were taken with a zoom lens. They often didn't seem to mind us humans as they came running towards us alongside the water, far too busy feeding. Their flight instincts kick in immediately if bothered, don't they? At this time of the year there weren't that many people at the beach (I took these photos in October 2011). It is always a lovely time of the year to visit.
I hope you all have a lovely day, and
thank you very much for visiting.
