Nick Hawkins / Purple sandpiper (Calidris maritima) on sea shore, Nova Scotia, Canada, May.

Dave Bevan / Purple sandpiper (Calidris maritima) feeding, Ceredigion, Wales, UK, January.

Melvin Grey / Purple sandpiper (Calidris maritima) female in summer plumage, feeding among kelp on the tideline hile on migration to northern breeding grounds, North Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland. May.

Holger Duty/ BIA / Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima), Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany

Glenn Bartley/ BIA / Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima), Manitoba, Canada

Jussi Murtosaari / Purple sandpiper (Calidris maritima) two on shore, Baltic Sea, Finland, April.

Robin Chittenden / Purple sandpiper (Calidris maritima) foraging on shoreline, Iceland, June

Robin Chittenden / Purple sandpiper (Calidris maritima) foraging on shoreline, Iceland, June

Jose B. Ruiz / Purple sandpiper (Calidris maritima) Gamvik, Finnmark, Norway, May.

Melvin Grey / Purple sandpiper (Calidris maritima) adult male, winter visitor feeding on shingle beach. Hunstanton, Norfolk, England, UK, February.

Melvin Grey / Purple sandpiper (Calidris maritima) adult male, winter visitor, Hunstanton, Norfolk, UK, February.

Loic Poidevin / Purple sandpiper (Calidris maritima) Varenger, Norway, May 2016