A splash of Sanderling
It’s a dull day but I’m forcing myself to go out. If you only ever went out on sunny days in Orkney, you’d spend much of your life indoors.
I’ve headed for Tafts and there’s a flock of energetic Sanderlings working the tideline. I love it, although I wish I’d brought my waterproofs with me.
Elegant, aren’t they?
Dignified, even.
They’re usually so careful to scuttle out and in with the waves, rarely getting a feather damp in the process.
There’s no sand to fall back on with each approaching wave here, though, just a rocky outcrop.
So they have to stand and take the force of the waves if they’ve going to glean any morsels from the water.
As do I. Now I need a sunny day to dry all my clothes.
More Sanderling
The Sand Ploughman The name Sanderling is from the Old English sand-yrðling, or ‘sand-ploughman’. This one has been ploughing the tideline for tasty morsels and… read more
Sanderling incoming It's a dull day when the Sanderling arrive. It's soon bright and beautiful on the white shell sand beach as… read more
Scurrying Sanderling Sanderling are one of my favourite wading birds. Actually, they're one of the few species of waders I can identify… read more
Sanderling #4 The Sanderlings of summer on Westray were a joy to get close to. Lying on the beach, keeping still, and… read more
Sanderling #1 There are Sanderling on Sands o' Maesan. They are energetic beyond imagination. They work the tideline as if their lives… read more
Westray Coast 50 – Day Two My adventures on the second of five days walking the entire coast of Westray. read more
Westray Coast 50 – Day One My adventures on the first of five days walking the entire coast of Westray. read more
Sanderling in the mud Sanderling. It sounds like it could be a verb as well as a noun. If it's a verb, then these… read more
Sanderling in the seaweed There's a juvenile Sanderling on the rocks. It pitter-patters busily among the seaweed. Suddenly I realise there are a flock… read more