Beach

Probably not what most people think of when they think of New York City.But the Rockaway Peninsula, the lower jaw of the “fish-shape Paumanok” (happy 200th year, Walt Whitman!), is a part of Queens facing the New York Bight.On a recent winter day — at least according to the calendar, for the temperature was near 60 — we found some beach runners.Sanderlings (Calidris alba).Darting before the surf, scurrying, probing, running, occasionally giving a squawk and flying.Looks like sand crabs were on the menu.