Surprise, surprise!

I was surprised today to see both a sanderling and two dunlins on the tide line on the beach.  These two small sized waders don’t return to our shores from their Nordic/Scandinavian breeding grounds until July/August.

The main picture shows the dunlin digging for crustaceans and the extra is one of my favourites, a sanderling.  They are similar in size and shape but the dunlin has a slightly longer beak and a dark patch on its underbelly which it has during the breeding season.