Sanderling
July 28, 2016Sanderling
It’s late July and that means fall shorebird migration is getting under way, and one of our most ubiquitous shorebirds is the Sanderling. Only the Ruddy Turnstone and the Whimbrel may have a wider distribution. Nesting in the high arctic, Sanderlings can be found after the nesting season and during migration on temperate and tropical beaches all around the world. Look for them now at Hammonnasset, Sandy Point, and Milford Point, among many other possibilities.
In North America, some Sanderlings may winter along the New England coast, including Connecticut, while others will fly more than 6,000 miles to South American temperate beaches.
Beaches are the Sanderlings domain. They characteristically run back and forth following the waves, feeding on small marine invertebrates disturbed by the wave action.
What it looks like: Sanderlings are an easy identification mark. They are very pale, somewhat plump, medium-sized sandpipers with short, black, stout bills and black legs. In breeding plumage, they are rufous on the head, neck and back. Early fall migrants often show some of this left-over rufous plumage. Winter-plumaged birds display a very pale head and whitish cheeks, much different from any other shorebird on the beach.
Where to find it: Sanderlings love hard-packed beaches where they chase the waves back and forth. Nearly any beach along our shoreline is likely to attract Sanderlings, but Hammonasset in Madison, Sandy Point in West Haven, and Milford Point at the Connecticut Audubon Coastal Center are particularly attractive to Sanderlings during migration and often all winter long.
How to find it: Look for any shorebirds running back and forth following the waves and you will likely be looking at Sanderlings. Although Semi-palmated Sandpipers and other shorebirds will sometimes chase waves, none do so quite as obsessively as the Sanderling. Sanderlings often roost together in large, compact flocks on the beach.
Interesting trivia:
Question: What is a group of Sanderlings called?
Answer: A “grain”
Photos by Dick Daniels, Carolinabirds.org
