Purple Sandpiper - at last!

Monday 8 February

Dancing down at Fuengirola this week and hoping to make a trip down to the lighthouse (Faro) later in the week but, as chance would have it, I had to drive to the far end of the town to see if there were tickets available for tomorrow's opera,  Too early for cinema, so carried on another mile to the faro and then walked back along the coast to the hide overlooking the sea.

Turnstones Arenaria interpres with two Purple Sandpipers Calidris maritima (left)

A solitary Little Egret motionless on the rocks below then nothing other than a single Sanderling until just past the observation post.  A fisherman below so not expecting to see any birds that then, immediately below me, a half-dozen sleeping waders.  The four Turnstones were very obvious but looking closer the other two were were my nemesis of these past four years, Purple Saandpipers, with one looking definitely like a juvenile.

Sleepy Purple Sandpipers Calidris maritima

As always, the camera was back in the hotel but then I remembered I had picked up Jenny's Canon IXUS which she had found in the rear of the front seat so chance to have a go.  Not great shots, especially trying to zoom in with the little camera, but you can see the birds.  Finally, a trio of Great Cormorants as I set off back to the hotel with a smile on my face which would do more than justice to the cat who got the cream!

Almost as sleepy Turnstones Arenaria interpres with Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima behind them

Birds seen:
Cormorant, Little Egret, Sanderling, Purple sandpiper, Turnstone.

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