Sharon Russo, age 13, of Tacoma, Wash., for her question:

DOES A SANDPIPER LAY MANY EGGS?

Sandpiper is a name given to a large number of different birds that live on the seashores in all parts of the world. One species even built their nests north of the Arctic Circle. The female sandpiper in all parts of the world lays three or four eggs that are colored a light gray, buff or olive, and spotted with dark brown.

Most of the sandpipers are small birds. They have long, sensitive bills, and they dig in the soft mud or sand in search of insects, worms, shrimps and small and soft mollusks.

Often the sandpiper follows receding waves, searching for bits of foods. Sometimes you'll see one sandpiper alone and other times they work the beaches in large flocks. Their graceful movements and cheerful cries have made them popular birds.

One of the best known American species is the spotted sandpiper, which is found throughout the United States and in southern Canada. A larger species, called the willet, lives in marshes along the warm Atlantic and Gulf coasts and in many western states.