Sanderling - Bellevue Beach

On that blustery and wet day in August while birding Bellevue Beach, we saw a number of birds as reported earlier. Among them was this little Sanderling. While there were many Ruddy Turnstones and White-rumped Sandpipers, we only found this one little Sanderling. It was staying pretty close to the Ruddy Turnstones and as seen in this shot it is quite a bit smaller.

It is a wonder that it didn't blow away but little as it is, it seemed pretty stout.  The truth is it was handling the conditions better than I was.

 The Sanderling breeds in the Arctic Tundra and is a frequent visitor to Newfoundland during migration. This is my first time to get a look at one of these little birds while it still has some of its breeding plumage. The reddish color on its head will change to gray very soon.

There remains only one more bird to post from the Bellevue trip and it is the best one.