This is a Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima). This is not a bird that can be seen at the “drop of a hat” but there are a few places in Devon where you can be almost sure of seeing one or two. They prefer to spend the winter on rocky shorelines, somewhere that is going to get a pounding wave sooner or later. As I photographed this one today…… there were 5 others by the way……. I could see that it was keeping a close eye on the crashing waves and right at the last moment it would jump clear. They were feeding on slimy green seaweed that was being exposed on the rocks as the tide went out. This in it’s self is interesting because in the past, I have seen them feeding on mussels and shellfish. They seem to favour the company of Ruddy Turnstones (Arenaria interpres) and today there was a dozen or so of them, dodging the waves in the same way but not feeding on the weed as far as I could see. This is a Turnstone.

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I really must tell you about an incident that happened, was I wrong? So there I was photographing the Sandpipers and quite wrapped up in it as you can imagine. The birds were feeding on the rocks next to the public footpath which skirts around the bottom of a cliff which I believe is called Jacob’s Ladder at Sidmouth (East Devon). It’s the Half Term school holidays so, as I expected, there were more people walking than normal, which is good of course. As I said I was literally focused out to sea when a small group passed me made up of a mum, perhaps two, and their small(ish) children. One of the small children then threw a stone in the direction of the birds and off they flew. I was livid!!!!! Without thinking I said to the mother “That really isn’t acceptable”. She was not one of the ‘under-classes” that we share the planet with but a respectable family women. She rounded on me with real venom and said that “he is only a child” and as such he didn’t know better. I told her that it was up to her to teach him what is the right thing to do and what is acceptable behaviour……. and the rant (from her) continued. At no point did she accept that the child shouldn’t be throwing stones at the birds…… I despair! My day wasn’t ruined but it did upset me quite a bit and my heart was racing, probably because of the frustration of the whole thing.
Here are a few more photos of the Purple Sandpipers.