This is bird note.

Though most birds that enliven beaches in summer have gone south, tiny sandpipers called

sandalings are easy to find on winter shores. They're intensely busy birds, persistently

following the smallest waves as they lap in and out.

High tide pushes burrowing invertebrates closer to the surface of the sand.

As the waves retreat, the top layer of sand swirls loosely.

Sandalings rush in to probe the sand with their small but tough beaks,

then flee as the next wave breaks.

The diversity of sanderlings diet is impressive. Various small crustaceans, especially mole crabs,

isopods, and amphipods are important elements.

A sanderlings probing also yields miniature clams and bristly segmented polychaet worms.

In spring on Delaware Bay, horseshoe crab eggs are a vital food.

And a sanderling's dining options don't end there.

They chase invertebrates through shallow pools and pluck flying insects out of the air.

In a pinch, they can turn to plants, buds, seeds, and algae. But they're best known for that

elegant dance at the edge of the waves. Watch for them performing along most of the U.S.

coast from city shorelines to barrier islands.

For Bird Note, I'm Ariana Rimmel.

This episode is dedicated to Deb Rivel for her many years of board service and generous support of Bird Note.