Heading south this morning for a few hours of birding proved richly rewarding. I began at Embo Pier, where over 60 Purple Sandpipers were present, many feeding at close range and offering superb views.
These tough little waders, breeders of the High Arctic where they nest among rocky tundra from Greenland across to northern Scandinavia, spend the winter almost exclusively on wave-lashed shores. Watching them here, perfectly at home on the exposed beach, felt like a direct connection to those far-northern landscapes.
Initial scans produced nothing, but further along the beach, a distant, buoyant flight caught the eye. Walking down, I was rewarded with excellent views of nine Little Gulls weaving gracefully over the surf.
Breeding far inland on freshwater marshes and bogs across northern Scandinavia and western Siberia, these birds migrate south after the breeding season, with small numbers reaching our coasts during winter, always bringing a touch of rarity and elegance.
Other birds of note included a few Kittiwakes, along with Redshank and Oystercatcher.
The day ended as strongly as it began, with a further 40+ Purple Sandpipers encountered along the shoreline, again showing beautifully.
Together, the gulls and sandpipers made for a memorable reminder that even in the depths of winter, our coasts can host birds whose journeys begin deep within the Arctic Circle.
