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Purple Sandpiper- winter plumage
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
The Purple Sandpiper, Calidris or Erolia maritima is a small shorebird.
Adults have short yellow legs and a medium thin dark bill with a yellow base. The body is dark on top with a slight purplish gloss and mainly white underneath. The breast is smeared with grey and the rump is black.
Their breeding habitat is the northern tundra on Arctic islands in Canada and coastal areas in Greenland and northwestern Europe. They nest on the ground either elevated on rocks or in lower damp location. The males makes several scrapes; the female choose one and lays 3 or 4 eggs. The male takes the major responsibility for incubation and tends the chicks. The young feed themselves.
In Britain, these birds occur in winter in good numbers principally along the east and south coasts, where they favour rocky shorelines adjacent to the sea. It is much rarer as a breeding bird, found only in a localised area of the Cairngorms National Park on the Ben Macdui plateau, where 1-3 pairs have bred since the 1970s.
They are late migrants and move to rocky ice-free Atlantic coasts in winter. most go no further south than North Carolina and northern Portugal. They are fairly gregarious, forming small flocks, often with Ruddy Turnstones. This species is tame and approachable.
These birds forage on rocky coasts, picking up food by sight. They mainly eat insects and mollusks, also some plant material. |
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- joska
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 407 W: 0 N: 1011]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif)
(5460) - [2008-12-23 20:54]
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Gratulálok a szép tengeri partfutóhoz! Kellemes karácsonyt, boldog új évet kívánok!
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- crs
(3543)
- [2008-12-23 21:09]
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Hi Peter,
Very dinamic photo you have made with these birds feeding in the water. Imagei s very good beeing sharp with fine, naturaly looking colors. Due to the very good sharpness plumage pattern can be well seen. Also good details of the bird can be observed.
Thank you for sharing,
Cristian
Hi Petre
I like this photo but i make some changes in workshop. I hope you like it.
Merry Christmas.
Razvan Zinica
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- eliz
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 167 W: 22 N: 269]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-s-g.gif)
(1535) - [2009-01-07 2:33]
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a fantastic capture Peter ! the bird is tack sharp. you have some extraordinery details in there.
p.s. you should crop more from the top
![Silver Note Writer [C: 0 W: 0 N: 88]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/n-n-s.gif){kind=small}