Purple sandpiper

Playful birds, with one or two turning up on Cleethorpes foreshore most  years, if only for a day or two, between November and March.Inland, Covenham Reservoir is an occasional location.In my view ‘purple’ isn’t really accurate. You’re never going to mistake one for a hyacynthine macaw. Even ‘purplish’ (as in greenish warbler) would be flattery.However, as with dunnocks, there’s definitely a subtle beauty (with a hint of mauve) to their plumage. 
 

Never seen a Purple Sandpiper Jim its a lovely looking bird. They always seem to appear in Cleethorpe's area. 

A single purple sandpiper was feeding on Cleethorpes beach near the Fuller Street footbridge at 10.45am today (two hours before high tide).

It was in the company of three plover singletons - green, grey and ringed - plus (in larger numbers) oystercatcher, dunlin, sanderling and redshank.

Overhead,  there was a steady passage of parties (between 10 and 20 each) of lapwngs flying inland  up the Humber.