Sanderling juveniles

Distant image showing two of three Sanderlings, rare but regular inland migrants. Identification is by the size (much larger than "peeps), heavy structure with large thick bill, large blocky head shape, and chunky body, black legs, pale whitish overall appearance, checkered upperparts, and dark breast-sides. One bird shows the dark at the bend of the wing often shown by Sanderlings, but this isn't always visible.

These are juveniles, aged by the neat checkered pattern of the upperparts. Juveniles can show a slight buffy cast to the throat and breast as these birds, and have streaking only at the breast-sides, not across the breast as can be noted in adults (which also may have rufous on the breast and upperparts).