Sanderlings on Sands of Edisto Beach

It’s easy to take the common beach birds for granted. They are all gulls and kind of look the same, one may think.

But a closer look reveals a wide variety of species and some interesting distinctions. A few weeks ago here at Edisto Island Beach I photographed some Willets, another type of Sandpiper (collective name "fling").

Yesterday it was these Sanderlings (collectively called a "grain").  As big a birder that I think I am I needed help both weekends to correctly identify these shore (no longer bore) birds.

At Edisto Beach, there’s not as much going on as say Sullivan’s Island where I’ve always enjoyed watching the big cargo ship going in and out of Charleston’s harbor.

Like Sullivan’s and our other area beaches, Edisto has its squadrons of Brown Pelicans flying their sorties. But now I’ve become more curious about the smaller birds seen feeding and frolicking along the shoreline.

With help from the experts on whatbird.com’s bird identification forum, I learned that the tell with the Sanderling is how it has no back toe like the other common beach birds.

It may be hard to see in these photos but these little guys and gals have only two forwarding facing toes.

Birding gives a lifetime of education and I got schooled-happily- on the Sanderling member of the sprawling Sandpiper family.

The weather at first was a bit threatening Sunday afternoon. A few lightning strikes out at sea shortly after our arrival had us poised to return to the car. But the dark clouds disbursed, the sun came out, the water was nice and the small number of late summer visitors enjoyed a peaceful time on the sand- with the Sanderlings.