You know the birds I’m talking about. The little ones that run to and fro on tiny black legs, alternately chasing and being chased by waves on sandy beaches. They have a black bill in addition to their black legs and are white below and dark above. They’re the ones that probe in the wet sand oh-so-briefly exposed by a receding wave and sometimes they come up with a delectable morsel. Sanderlings!

All of these shots of my favorite shorebird were taken at Jones Beach this August, the first time since spring I have seen any Sanderlings (they breed way up north).

running from the waves

Run, Sanderling, run!

two Sanderlings in flight

sometimes running isn't enough!

yummy!

more than a mouthful

Charge!

lots o' sanderlings

Written by Corey
Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy and Desmond Shearwater. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.