The world according to me....

As much as it pains me to admit it, I do like birds and particularly shorebirds. Skimmers, scarlet ibis, osprey, pelicans, piping plovers, ruddy turnstones – they are all cool. But I think my favorite is the ubiquitous sanderling. There is just something about the way they run back and forth, just ahead of the incoming waves on the beach, that I find fascinating. Their life history is also interesting, and they happen to migrate thousands of kilometers between feeding and reproductive grounds, often spanning international borders (sound familiar?). Of course, my birding friends scoff at sanderlings and don’t waste their precious binocular time on them; sanderlings are not “rare” enough for their interest. But the “ordinary” status of sanderlings is a good thing in my mind: it means there are lots around, and is a tribute to their tenacity. Sanderlings deserve more respect.