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Brian Morin

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Details: winter plummage

Presqu'ile Provincial Park - an annual but rare late fall visitor.

Date uploaded: Dec 18 2025

Comments (3):
Ahmad Shah: Excellent capture for a late fall visitor.
Brian Morin: I was fighting strong winds and waves lapping at the ice along the Lake Ontario shore, as was the bird. The great thing about the experience is while I remained stationary, the bird moved about, wandering as close as 7 feet from me.

Purple Sandpiper (10)

Brian Morin

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Details: adult, winter plummage

Regular but uncommon species appearing in late fall-early winter, usually along the lower Great Lakes. A small number appear each year. Most birds end up on the Atlantic coast.

Date uploaded: Nov 12 2024

Purple Sandpiper (10)

Brian Morin

Date taken: Nov 16 2023

Details: juvenile

Erieau - I had tried a number of times this fall to find the species in various areas but failed until this day. Living up to its reputation, the bird was wonderfully cooperative. I did not approach it, the bird was simply very close when I found it, almost stumbling over it in a dark corner of a breakwater. Thankfully it later went into the light.

Date uploaded: Nov 20 2023

Comments (1):
Chris: Still have yet to see this species. You seem to have luck with him!

Purple Sandpiper (10)

Brian Morin

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Date taken: Dec 2 2022

Details: immature, winter plummage

Oshawa - An end of the year treat. These coastal birds show up very late in the season in very small numbers, normally along Lake Ontario. I was lucky to find two. They are very hardy and one or two may overwinter in rocky areas that don't freeze. They are notoriously tame. I just waited for them to come to me.

Date uploaded: Dec 3 2022

Comments (4):
Chris: Love that bird. Great job finding the few in the region.
BrianMorin: You and me both. It is one of my favourites. I tried hard to get the legs and possibly the feet showing in as many shots as possible. That makes the shots pop.

Purple Sandpiper (10)

Brian Morin

📍 Map

Date taken: Sep 23 2022

Details: juvenile, molting

Presqu'ile Provincial Park - Gull Island This bird was a shocker. While checking a few birds on shore I saw bright orange legs from a distance and thought maybe a turnstone but not this time. We look for them in November but in recent years it has been December and still at best an annual rarity. Incredibly early. The bird is molting into its first winter plumage.

Date uploaded: Sep 25 2022

Comments (5):
Ahmad Shah: Superb detailed shot of this tough species to get. You had good luck in Presqu'ile Park, specially in Gull Island.
BrianMorin: This was definitely a highlight, not only of the trip but of fall shorebird watching.

Purple Sandpiper (10)

Brian Morin

Date taken: Nov 12 2020

Details: juvenile

Presqu'ile Provincial Park - Lake Ontario usually has a few of these coastal birds show up before heading to the Atlantic for the winter. They are often quite approachable. This is the last of the migrant shorebirds for another season.

Date uploaded: Nov 13 2020

Purple Sandpiper (10)

Brian Morin

Details: adult, winter plummage

Presqu'ile Provincial Park - I watched three feeding actively in a snowstorm. They didn't mind the weather a bit.

Date uploaded: Dec 18 2019

Purple Sandpiper (10)

Brian Morin

Date taken: Dec 10 2015

Details: adult

Presqu'ile Provincial Park - I went in search of this bird which showed up there last week. I was well rewarded for the lengthy drive. It was shadowed by a Dunlin and Sanderling for a couple of hours and all moved in a range of only about 30 feet. It was great. Presqu'ile is one of the best locations in Ontario to see this species in November and December. They may get as few as one bird or as many as dozens in a rare year.

Date uploaded: Dec 11 2015