Recycling can wait

I took a quick run inland today, searching for a recycling depot, which I never found. But somehow, I ended up back on the coast, getting gas, and from there, it was inevitable that I'd wind up on a beach, and spend an hour chasing sandpipers.

They love to stand in lines, usually facing the open water.

The sandpipers stood or foraged along the water's edge in small groups, always a fair distance away from me. I was only carrying the little pocket camera, so I zoomed as far as it would go, took a photo, took two steps, another photo, two steps ... And just when I would almost be in range, the whole flock would rise in a panic, and fly away, shouting, "Peet! Peet!" as they went.

But there were always more flocks, just a bit farther along. Zoom, step, click, repeat. And away they flew. Again and again. In the end, it was a long hike back to the car.

The same log. Three more trusting birds. For the moment.

Zooming 'way in. I don't know what he's finding to eat; I went to look, and it's all shredded seaweeds. And swarms of flies; that may be today's menu item.

These, I think, are semi-palmated sandpipers.* They winter farther south, but the weather is mild here on the inner channel; winter's a long way away and the living is easy still.

*Update: Fred Schueler suggests Turnstones. I think he's right; they're Black Turnstones.