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.
Today I chose to admire the setting sun. I had been at work, plus a couple things didn’t go to plan – so it was a nice relaxed way to end the day. I took these pictures from my friend’s flat (again, with my mobile).
You can see Beacon Hill, which is part of the Lickey Hills Country Park, from the balcony etc…
The Sunset underway. You can just make out some countryside in the distance.
A few minutes later.
One without some flats in shot.
I then went up Rubery Hill a.k.a Cock Hill or the Quarry, to take the last of my photos.
You can just make out Rubery Hill/Cock Hill.
On Rubery Hill now, you can just see a wee bit of rural Frankley in the distance.
Without the flats in shot,
You can make out rural Frankley, with some of the New Frankley semi-rural suburb below it. The stand of trees to the right (which kind looks like a Cadbury’s Chocolate Button) is Frankly Beeches/Frankley Hill.
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) 
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