Showy Purple Sandpipers at Ness Point

At about midday Monday 30th December, on the very fine sunny day, I drove down to Ness Point and immediately bumped into Gavin D, I was hoping to see the reported 9 Purple sands, initially there were none, but Gavin spotted 2 fine Purple Sandpipers on the defence rocks just south of the compass by the ledge. Walking down to the southern tip of Ness Point 3 Rock Pipits were seen, 2 flew over to the SLP yard. Nothing in Hamilton Dock, save for 1 Cormorant and 1 Black- headed Gull fishing. We walked over to the rocks just north of the finger and this new hot spot for the species revealed 2 very confiding individuals, so 4 Purple Sandpiper in all. As always great to photograph in this light where the purple iridescence in the plumage truly stood out. An incredible 5 Ringed Plovers (my largest number of this species at Ness Point) flew north very close in. Initially asleep on the rocks, our patience was rewarded when of another 2 Purple Sandpipers, first one then the second woke up and started feeding. The first individual even flew closer and fed around 10 feet away albeit in shadow.