Birds

Of all the wading birds found around the coastline of Cornwall during the winter, a Purple Sandpiper must be one of the easiest to photograph. Today, two Purple Sandpiper feeding on the rocks of Pendennis headland at the mouth of the Fal estuary came so close I had to step back to focus the 400mm lens.

Insight: A dumpy, medium-sized wader with distinctive yellow legs and bill. It may be found in small flocks on weed-strewn, rocky shores around the British coastline in winter. Less wary than most other wading birds it can often be approached to within a few feet before it flies off.