Birds of the Massachusetts Coast

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"Racing the Surf" -- This Sanderling (Calidris alba, in the sandpiper family) is in his element–feeding on micro-organisms at the very edge of a smooth beach at Allens Pond, racing the incoming waves like a wind-up toy. Sanderlings are often found in close-knit groups, moving virtually in unison at the same breakneck pace that individuals maintain. Their migratory range is as far as any bird species--up to 6,000 miles; they breed in spring in the High Arctic and some winter just as far to the south of us.
Copyright © 2007 John Van de Graaff

"Racing the Surf" -- This Sanderling (Calidris alba, in the sandpiper family) is in his element–feeding on micro-organisms at the very edge of a smooth beach at Allens Pond, racing the incoming waves like a wind-up toy. Sanderlings are often found in close-knit groups, moving virtually in unison at the same breakneck pace that individuals maintain. Their migratory range is as far as any bird species--up to 6,000 miles; they breed in spring in the High Arctic and some winter just as far to the south of us.

Bird Photographs by John Van de Graaff