On the afternoon of January 25, 2015, a few members of the Leica Birding Team and I stopped by the jetty at Lighthouse Point Park (Ponce Inlet, eBird checklist) to see if we could get Raymond his lifer Purple Sandpiper. Purple Sandpipers are only being seen at two locations in Florida, Lighthouse Point Park and Fort Clinch State Park, making it a darn good state bird. As we walked towards the jetty, we ran into a couple of birders who had just saw the target bird. They told us where to look and within in minutes, we were five feet away from THE Purple Sandpiper. The moment was glorious, magical, and exhilarating, especially while Raymond was doing his lifer dance! Since the bird was a mere five feet away, it allowed for quite a photo opportunity. Here’s a collection of my best Ponce Inlet Purple Sandpiper photos.
