Not sure quite how many times the words 'Purple Sandpipers' and 'Filey' have appeared on these pages over the last 16 years or more, but it's a
lot... but I make no excuses - they're wonderful, iconic 'local' birds that have given me enormous joy over the years, and it's always a special treat to see them transitioning into breeding plumage.
Not that it's easy to find them in such a state and at such a time - most, if not all, wintering birds have already gone, and those that 'remain' are just as likely to be briefly pit-stopping on the Brigg before their journeys back to their breeding grounds in the Arctic tundra.
And so it was a pleasure to enjoy this handful of Purps on the Brigg end, looking increasingly dapper as the sharper, rich tones of their breeding dress replace the more familiar, diffuse, smudgy appearance of their non-breeding attire.
