Joined up with midlands naturalist Adam L. Canning for a trip over to Hilbre Island, Cheshire yesterday for a winter fix of waders and sea ducks. A total of 7hrs was spent on the island with Adam, resulting in a number of notable species: Purple Sandpiper, Common Scoter, Rock Pipit, Brent Goose (ssp. hota), Common Eider and an unseasonable Northern Gannet to name but a few.
The perfect lighting gave way for some ample photographic opportunities of the wintering Purple Sandpipers on the island, I’ve uploaded several onto the blog. Hopefully you’ll be able to make out the purple iridescence which gives them their name.
Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima) 
Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima) 
Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima) 
Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima) 
Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima) 
Common Scoter (Melanitta nigra) 
Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) 
Canned Wildlife 