2022-0211 A Day On The Beach

Headed toward a landing

This bird was forced to fly as, after having run down with the receding wave hunting for Emerita analoga, the next inbound wave threatened to drown it. It's now fixated upon were along the high tide line will it land.

Sanderling are a species of sandpiper with an important distinguishing characteristic. Through evolution (selecting for fast beach runners), Sanderling have lost their fourth (hind) toe. That fourth toe works for other sandpipers which feed on muddy substrates; it makes them less likely to sink into the mud. But Sanderling feed on sandy beaches. There the selective premium is on moving fast to up with a receding wave and avoid an incoming. They don't feed in the muddy places that sandpipers like Dunlin and Western Sandpipers do. So evolution got rid of the fourth toe.

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SanderlingEmerita analogaLimantour Spit