Clockwork birds

My Mums favourite bird is the Sanderling, a lovely little wader that spends the winter on our shores here in Britain. They leave their breeding grounds in the high Arctic in mid-August with their bodyweight having increased by 60% to provide them with the energy to fly non-stop for 5,000km! They then make the return trip in May or June. The oldest ringed bird survived for 17 years.

The bird is extremely active and restless and runs like a clockwork toy of old, hence why my Mum calls them `windy-up birds`!

Like other waders, the Sanderling needs to feed undisturbed to obtain enough food to sustain their long flight and survive the winter. Unfortunately some local authorities use mechanical beach cleaning equipment which clear beaches of seaweed and other vegetation affecting food supplies.

All digiscoped using Lumix FS15 and Kowa TSN-883 x30