Friday 28 March 2014

Southsea Castle - Purple Sandpipers

The previous day had been almost imageless with a morning spent waiting in vain for the Ring-billed Gull to appear in Walpole Park Gosport. The Lepe Lesser Yellowlegs  almost went the same way until I found it some 150m across the first pond/scrape. I have quite a few erm 'record shots' which don't deserve much time and effort so on to today....

I couldn't resist another check for the Ring-billed Gull which was only 30 mins from where I was staying and you've guessed it.... Gone for good! The only nearby news was for Purple Sandpiper at Southsea Castle (Portsmouth) which was only a couple of miles away (as the Ring-billed Gull flies)....

It was some 15 miles by road however and fortunately it didn't take long to:
a) find the Castle ruins...... and then
b) find the much smaller group of 16 Purple Sandpipers :-)

The habitat shot.....



Some representative images welcoming you to the world of the Purple Sandpiper - a realm of rocks, surf, slime plus the odd limpet or two....


And despite the hostile environment, there's lots of food.....


Plus (on a sea wall) some horrible camera angles!


Slipping and sliding! Don't risk camera gear here - it's treacherous!


But that green goo is full of tasty morsels!




Gotcha!


Time for a quick was and brush up!


Plus a vigorous flap to dry.....


The full frontal?


Followed by the tastiest image - I did say morsels!


 That's the morning gone and I'm going to start heading West with a stop at Blashford lakes......