Purple Sandpiper, Calidris maritima - 1 - Svalbard

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Purple Sandpiper, Calidris maritima - 1 - Svalbard


A Purple Sandpiper, apparently these birds have a purplish tinge on their upper feathers which is why they get their name though I can't see it myself, maybe it was the wrong time of the year.
As far as I'm concerned they are most notable for having a name that sounds amusing when said out loud in a comedy French accent (Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau). In fact it became a bit of a game try saying "I poo poo your pair of purple sandpipers" ok, maybe you had to be there.



Photo; © Paul Ward - These are pictures from a cruise around Svalbard inside the Arctic Circle in high summer.