October brings very large mixed flocks of Sanderlings and Dunlin to Duxbury Beach. Early in the month they are mostly Sanderlings but by November they are mostly Dunlin and by December the flocks are in the huundreds and entirely Dunlin (with an occasional Sanderling hanging on). This shot shows how they typically appear - in a band streteched out along the shore well camoflauged in the stones that make up the beach from High Pines south to the Gurnet. It doesn't look like there are many there, but when a raptor cruises by, or even a fast moving large gull at times, they suddenly rise up as one creating a large cloud of where nothing seemed to be - and then they quickly settle in again and disappear. This slide shows about half the length of a flock seen today. The next slide will give a feel for the density and composition of the flock.