The tiny drama on the shoreline

At the beach of Oranjezon in Zeeland, I stumbled into a miniature comedy act starring two birds with very different personalities. In Dutch we call them a Steenloper and a Drieteenstrandloper — but internationally they’re known as the Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) and the Sanderling (Calidris alba).

The Turnstone was doing its usual business: flipping over shells and stones with impressive determination, searching for hidden snacks. But right behind it — practically glued to its tail — the Sanderling trotted along, refusing to be shooed away. The back-and-forth between them felt like watching a feathered version of the Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote, tiny legs moving at ridiculous speeds.

Photographically, this was a fun challenge. A dark grey day, the sea rolling in behind them, and me lying low with the Canon 5D Mark IV and Sigma 100–400mm at 400mm. Because of the poor light I had to work with a slower shutter speed (1/250s). Tracking two hyperactive birds at that focal length is like trying to thread a needle in a storm — but somehow it worked. The legs slightly blurred just enough to show their speed, while the birds themselves stayed sharp.

I’m honestly proud of this one. A little slice of nature, comedy, and chaos — exactly as it happened on that windy Zeeland beach.

#RuddyTurnstone #ArenariaInterpres #Sanderling #CalidrisAlba #Shorebirds #BeachBirds #Zeeland #Oranjezon #DutchNature #BirdWatching #BirdPhotography #WildlifePhotography #NatureLovers #Canon5DMarkIV #Sigma100400 #TelephotoMagic #TrackingShots #LowAnglePhotography #BirdBehavior #FeatheredFriends #CoastalWildlife #NatureComedy #FastLittleLegs #BlurAndSharp #WildlifeMoments #EuropeanBirds #AvianLife #BeachWalks #StoryBehindTheShot #FieldNotes #NatureDiaries #ScientificCuriosity #PhotographyChallenges #GreyDayPhotography #BirdingNetherlands #NatureReserve #CoastalEcosystem #AnimalInteractions #TinyDrama #ByMaikeldeBakker
#BirdOfTheDay : des nuances de gris #ShadesOfGrey
Voici un bécasseau sanderling en plumage internuptial, tenant compagnie à deux grands gravelots.
#Photography #Birds #Nature #BirdPhotography #UnJourUnePhoto #CalidrisAlba #Sanderling #CharadriusHiaticula #CommonRingedPlover #Bird #Borb
#BirdOfTheDay : des nuances de gris #ShadesOfGrey
Voici un bécasseau sanderling en plumage internuptial, tenant compagnie à deux grands gravelots.
#Photography #Birds #Nature #BirdPhotography #UnJourUnePhoto #CalidrisAlba #Sanderling #CharadriusHiaticula #CommonRingedPlover #Bird #Borb
Sanderling - Cumberland County, Maine, July 2025
#birds #birding #CalidrisAlba

Mentre els tractors tracten de fer la neteja de les platges després de la catàstrofe de la DANA els territs de tres dits van amunt i avall buscant menjant.

#bird #birds #birdwatching #birdphotography #territdetresdits #correlimostridactilo #sanderling #calidrisalba #marenydebarraquetes #sueca #albuferavalencia

Des de fa unes setmanes hi ha un grup d'uns 20-30 territs de tres dits en la platja del Rei del Mareny de Barraquetes. És un ocell que en l'estiu habita regions àrtiques i durant l'hivern ens visita. Una mostra de la vida de les nostres platges sense turisme.

#bird #birds #birdwatching #birdphotography #territdetresdits #correlimostridactilo #sanderling #calidrisalba #marenydebarraquetes #sueca #albuferavalencia

During our day trip down the shore at Avalon Beach, Bhavna and I continued our observation of the shoreline, soaking in the sun and the soothing sounds of the waves gently rolling in. As we sat, I spotted a few small shorebirds swiftly darting in and out of the waves with surprising speed. They were Sanderlings (Calidris alba). I’ve seen them many times on previous shore visits, but this time I had the right lens, my XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR, to capture a photograph.

Sanderling (Calidris alba) · 14 August 2024 · FujiFilm X-T3 · XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR

The Sanderling's light brown and white plumage shimmered as they foraged along the wet sand, blending with the scattered seashells and pebbles. With their slender black beak pointed downward, they picked at tiny bits of debris left behind by the retreating tide. They moved quickly, never still for more than a moment; their delicate legs were a blur as they ran along the water's edge.

Sanderling (Calidris alba) · 14 August 2024 · FujiFilm X-T3 · XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR

The sunlight was just right—the soft glow of the late morning casting a gentle light on the scene. As the waves receded, the sand briefly glistened with the retreating water. The Sanderling seemed like seasoned beachcombers, entirely at home among the shells and sea foam.

Sanderling (Calidris alba) · 14 August 2024 · FujiFilm X-T3 · XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR

Sanderlings (Calidris alba) and Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) are closely related. Both species belong to the Scolopacidae family, which is the family of shorebirds often referred to as sandpipers.

https://islandinthenet.com/sanderling/

#Avalon #AvalonBeach #CalidrisAlba #CapeMayCounty #Sanderling #Sandpiper #SevenMileBeach #SevenMileIsland

Down the Shore at Avalon Beach Photography, Technology, and Everything In Between by Khürt Williams

Last month, Bhavna and I finally got a chance to go down the shore. It's something we’ve been meaning to do all summer but just hadn’t gotten around to. Bhavna grew up in Hackensack, so she’s well-…

Island in the Net

Entre les limícoles que vaig vore a la #llacunadelpujol estaven els territs de tres dits, este exemplar estava ben prop i el vaig poder fotografiar.

#territdetresdits #corremolinostridactilo #sanderling #Calidrisalba #birdwatching #birdphotography #albuferadevalencia

Durant l'hivern es deixen veure els territs de tres dits uns xicotets ocells limícoles que crien a l'estiu en l'Àrtic i que s'alimenten aprofitant les ones.

#territdetresdits #correlimostridactilo #Calidrisalba #Sanderling #birdphotography #birdwatching #albuferadevalencia #sueca