Piper of the Rock

 The Purple Sandpiper is known as "Pibydd y Graig" in Welsh. Translated into English it means Piper of the Rock. The Latin name for the species is Calidris maritima.

For several years Paul Joy and myself have been visiting Battery Point in Portishead to watch and photograph these very confiding little waders, usually in the months of December and January. This species of wader is a winter visitor to the British coasts where it likes to feed on rocky locations close to the waters edge. Purple Sandpiper breed further North in the spring and summer months in the Arctic.

Although there is a small population that breeds in the UK, this is rare however and as a result the little wader is listed on the Schedule 1 of The Wildlife and Countryside Act to protect their breeding areas.

The plumage of these birds a quite non-descript grey and white but in good light even in the winter months you can see a purple hue to the feathers. They do however have brightly coloured orange/yellow beaks , legs and feet.

On this visit Paul and I will wrapped up warm against the cold wind on a rather overcast but dry day. The Purple Sandpipers usually arrive around high tide at Battery Point. A lot of the rocks at Battery Point are covered in slippery dark green coloured seaweed. The rocks that are bare are slippery, jagged and are uncomfortable to sit upon for any length of time.

In my experience Purples are very confiding to watch and will tolerate birdwatchers, fisherman and photographers quite close to them as long as you are quiet and let them come to you. I do not ever recommended chasing birds around and disturbing them.

This species of wader is very quiet although they make contact calls and whistle at each other when squabbling over a spot on the rocks. Their dull plumage and habit of staying very low down to to the rocks and waters edge means they can be difficult to spot.

Paul and I were scanning the rocks and shoreline for signs of movement that may betray their presence. I was sure I had seen a small wader fly past where we were talking to the fishermen and land on the end of the point.

I went to take a look and whilst at first I could not see any waders I could here faint contact calls in the area. I scanned harder and then I saw movement and a little birds head popped up above the seaweed. It was a Purple Sandpiper. A wave broke against where it was roosting in the seaweed and then more birds were revealed.

I counted a small flock of eight Purple Sandpipers. They were roosting mainly but the tide was encroaching upon them and they were being pushed further up the point. Paul and I found a reasonably comfortable space to watch them from a respectful distance and take some photograph's.

The waders huddled together on the outcrop of rock they had chosen before gradually either wading across the seaweed to another rock on the point or flying over piping away as they did so. They frequently had little disputes over which bit of rock belonged to whom. Some of the birds started to forage in amongst the seaweeds and rock crevice's for invertebrates and got quite busy and close.

The birds always had one eye on us just to make sure we did not get too close. Paul and I hardly moved from our rocky perches but eventually I had lie down on a gravelly part of the point to get down to eye level of the birds and to rest my behind, which had gone numb!

As high tide reached its peak it was time for us to leave the birds to it. They were all quite happy roosting on a rock just at the waters edge. Where they go after high tide was a question both Paul and I were unable to answer. We assumed out on the estuary where there is safety and food.