Original photo series: Birds of California #19, Sanderling

Here are a couple photos I took recently of the charming shorebird called the Sanderling. In the first photo they are resting on the rocky shore:

In the second photo, they have briefly taken flight for repositioning before settling back down again.

The Sanderling, Calidris alba, breeds in the arctic and winters south to the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Australia. The foraging birds resemble "clockwork toys" as the eat crustaceans in the surf.