Sanderlings, one of the most widespread shorebirds on Planet Earth, breed on the Arctic tundra and winter along sandy beaches and mudflats as far south as southern Argentina. Medium-sized and easily identified, they gather in flocks during the colder months and are known for their habit of racing along the edge of the surf, probing the wet sand for marine invertebrates.
Sanderlings are common on the beaches of Longboat Key, Florida, from late summer to mid spring and, as noted above, are generally seen in small groups or moderate sized flocks. Today, however, these winter visitors seemed to be in a feisty mood, feeding alone and squabbling with their neighbors; in one case, a pair of these "cute" shorebirds actually engaged in brief but harmless combat. While male sanderlings are known to be highly territorial in the Arctic (allowing some females to produce a clutch of eggs with more than one suitor), I have never observed this behavior on their wintering beaches. Since juveniles are known to remain on the wintering grounds for several years before they are capable of breeding, perhaps I was viewing their instinctual warmup for next spring.
As we often see in nature documentaries, humans have a habit of endowing other creatures with the traits of our own species. On the other hand, we have much in common with our wild neighbors and certain behaviors that we observe in human society mimic those found throughout much of the animal kingdom. Perhaps, like surly, hormone-driven teens, not yet ready for the responsibilities of parenthood, these sanderlings were just flexing their muscles, frustrated by the slow progress of their own maturation.
