Summer plumage Purple Sandpipers at Battery Rocks, Penzance

On bank holiday Monday I counted 16 Purple Sands on the Battery Rocks.  This date is getting quite late for this species.  These last remaining wintering birds will surely be moving north back to their breeding grounds in the next week.  Now is the only window to see this species approaching full summer plumage (unless of course you visit Norway or Greenland).

Below are some images from Monday.  They were taken around midday in poor light.  I used flash (Nikon SB-600) to give the image a bit of lift.

Purple Sandpipers pose in Mounts Bay, Cornwall

There are up to fifty Purple Sandpipers in varying sites around Mounts Bay.  I took these shots last week at Newlyn, just below the Tolcarne Inn.  They can be really tricky to photo as they are such busy little waders but these posed just nicely for the lens.

EXIF detail:  Aperture: F/8.  Shutter 1/200s.  Exposure +o.3EV.  ISO 400.

Jubilee Pool purple patch

The sea wall and rocks adjacent to the Jubilee Pool at Penzance are well known for the wintering flock of Purple Sandpipers.  At high tide a good number of birds will allow close approach .  I took these shots last week in good light.

Purple Sandpiper at Gwithian

Below are some close up images of a Purple Sandpiper. This adult became quite agitated when it spotted a Peregrine Falcon high in the sky above it. The neck stretching and head tilting are all typical signs of a nearby threat. The light was perfect early in the morning and all shots were taken with a Nikon D2xs camera on a tripod.