Lyme Regis...

Lyme Regis is a place I love because I use to spend a lot of time there as a kid but normally avoid these days. Far too many people ambling around, throwing pebbles in the water, letting their dogs run riot on the beach, way more tourists than there use to be. Regardless, it is a place perhaps overlooked by birders for that very reason although it has turned up some good birds in its time - most recently a spotted sandpiper a couple of years back. I went there yesterday specifically to film the purple sandpipers that gather on the rocks off the Cobb Wall each winter and ended up getting distracted by the rock pipits hunting in the seaweed on Monmouth Beach. You would think a loner sitting quietly on a stinky beach with a video camera on a tripod would shout STAY AWAY FROM ME but no, despite obviously filming 'something' I had several people almost go out of their way to walk in front of the camera and disturb the birds. Pity about all the rubbish there though too - makes you realise how filthy are beaches are...

Rock pipits, Lyme Regis: R. Harris

The purple sandpipers were there though, nine in all. They really have a bit of character, great little birds:

Purple Sandpiper, Lyme Regis: R. Harris

Purple Sandpiper, Lyme Regis: R. Harris

Purple Sandpiper, Lyme Regis: R. Harris

Purple Sandpipers: R. Harris