Sanderling

A lifelong hunter and fisherman, Del Herbert began wildfowl carving in 1985. He has won more than 250 blue ribbons and 120 best in show awards and won best in world shootin’ rig in 1998 and 2010. His work has been juried into the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution. Del was selected as a Ward Foundation Living Legend in 2016.

I love to walk, and am fortunate enough to live about ten minutes from the beach. The sound of the waves and the feeling of sand between my toes is good for my soul. I find it nearly impossible to resist smiling when I see the small shorebirds darting in and out of the surf. I am always amazed at how fast those staccato legs carry them, and the way their radar-like senses keep them just inside the rhythmic waves. The small shorebird groups frequently include least and western sandpipers as well as sanderlings, the subject of this article.