Small, plump and energetic
Sanderling are a delight to watch. They are busy, frenetic even, and dedicated to picking up any morsel of food they can glean on the tideline.
This one’s white plumage provides a stark contrast with the orange of the seaweed on the rocky shore of Westray.
They are here from the high Arctic, where they breed.
This one is showing its strong white wingbar, visible while in flight, and the darker patch on the body where the wing meets the shoulder.
They are a delight to watch.
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
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… 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