Their southerly migration appears to follow the ocean coasts, with many birds traveling as far as the southern tip of South America. Spring migration of Sanderlings in Michigan is late and compressed, occurring from late May to early June. Nearly all spring records are from the Great Lakes shoreline or adjacent sites, such as the Muskegon Pumped Storage Plant. In contrast with spring migration, the southward fall migration of Sanderlings begins early and is protracted. Adults begin arriving in Michigan in early August and most have passed by mid-September.
Juveniles appear about a month later.
Interestingly, there are no Michigan Christmas Count Records for this species, even though it is often seen as late as the second week of December in places such as Berrien County. As in spring, most Sanderlings are encountered along the Great Lakes shoreline, but there are more inland records in fall than spring. Flocks can be large where birds buildup over time. An example is the report of 250 Sanderlings on 21 July 1973 in Berrien County. The Sanderling is a common spring migrant and abundant fall migrant.