Day 13: Purple Sandpiper

I'll admit that at first, I was a little disappointed with this bird. When Jared first told me that we were going to look for Purple Sandpipers during our trip to Ocean City, I was excited. You don't see that many purple birds, after all. On our drive to Ocean City, I looked them up in our trusty field guide, however, and realized that the name is deceiving. They are NOT purple birds, at least not to my eyes. According to what I've read, their bodies are "dark on top with a slight purplish gloss," but it just looks brown to me. Clearly, I'm not yet a bird connoisseur!

 

They are handsome birds, nonetheless. We saw a large flock feeding on the rocks of the Ocean City inlet and were able to get some great photos.

 

 Evil sandpiper

During the winter, Purple Sandpipers live in small groups along exposed, rocky seacoasts of the north Atlantic. They appear to be quick and agile on rocks and near crashing waves.