Jan. 16, 2011 - Sanderlings

Sanderlings are small (8”) shorebirds that are common in winter along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. They remind me of little wind-up toys, constantly on the move, following the waves as they roll in and out. In non-breeding plumage (seen here) their back is light brown and a good match for the dry sand along the beach. This photo was taken at Mexico Beach, Florida.

SanderlingMexicoBeach20110106

When a Sanderling takes flight, it reveals a surprising amount of color in its wings. Looking at the previous photos, you wouldn’t have expected to see the dark leading and trailing edges of the wing, with a bold white stripe in the middle.

Sanderlingflight

Here is the same bird coming in for a landing. Both this photo and the previous one were taken on St. George Island, Florida.

SanderlingflightGeorgeIslandStatePark20110107

This is how Sanderlings forage. They like to stay right along the edge of the waves and snap up tiny invertebrates revealed by the receding water. This photo was taken at Mexico Beach, Florida.

SanderlingMexicoBeach20110106

Sanderlings nest in the far northern Arctic tundra. The female lays her eggs and the male incubates them. She then goes off to start another clutch of eggs, often with a different male who is then left to incubate the second nest.

SanderlingGeorgeIslandStatePark20110107

This Sanderling seems to be examining something very closely. These last two photos were taken on St. George Island, Florida. Here’s a link to a photo on my web site showing Sanderlings in breeding plumage. http://www.earlorfphotos.com/Birds/Birds-5/5691214_DJcnf#350827071_VK6gp

SanderlingGeorgeIslandStatePark20110107