A messenger from the sands
There’s a Ruddy Turnstone in Knott End-on-Sea. Beautiful, aren’t they? Ruddy Turnstones breed in the far Arctic and along the Canadian coast yet spend the rest of their time in coastal locations across the world, on almost every beach available. You can see Ruddy Turnstones on every rocky shore in Africa, the Middle East, India, South-East Asia, Australia, South and North America, the Atlantic coast of Europe and the UK. Widespread seems too inadequate a word for their global reach.
The Ruddy Turnstone’s scientific name is Arenaria interpres. The genus name arenaria is from the Latin arenarius, which means ‘inhabiting sand’, from arena, which means ‘sand’. (An arena – it’s a flat area of sand.) The specific name interpres means ‘messenger’, related to the word interpreter.
Ruddy Turnstones are messengers from the sands.
More Ruddy Turnstones
2020 highlights of a wilder Devon life 2020 is a year which will be difficult to forget for those of us lucky enough to still be alive.… read more
Ruddy Turnstones Ruddy Turnstones. No, I'm not cursing, that's their name. There are several at Brixham Breakwater which I've come to enjoy… read more
Dolphins and a Great Northern Diver I'm at Brixham in South Devon again, looking out to sea. It helps that I've met a couple of great… read more
Ruddy Turnstone portraits After the shock of getting so close to Ruddy Turnstones I decided to try some portrait photography. Here's my first… read more
Ruddy Turnstones at Brixham breakwater #3 I've been enjoying filming the Ruddy Turnstones in Brixham. I hope these tiny films have given you some insight into… read more
Ruddy Turnstones at Brixham breakwater #2 I never expected to get quite so close to Ruddy Turnstones in Brixham. I certainly never expected them to act… read more
Ruddy Turnstones at Brixham Breakwater #1 I set off before dawn to see what wildlife I could find at Brixham breakwater in South Devon. I was… read more
Redshank ballet and Ruddy Turnstones There's a Redshank on the rocks. I don't think it wants to fly away. That would mean getting its leg… read more
Ruddy Turnstone There's a Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres on the beach at Mae Sands. It's just turned this stone over. They are very… read more