The Sand Messengers return

It’s a joy to see the Ruddy Turnstones have returned from their brief trip to the most northerly coasts on Earth.

The Ruddy Turnstone’s scientific name is Arenaria interpres.

The name of the genus, arenaria, is from the Latin word arenarius, which means ‘inhabiting sand’, from arena, which originally meant ‘sand’, before it became applied to a sand-strewn place of combat. Now, arena more commonly refers to a concert venue, where it’s more likely to be strewn with plastic drinks containers and be sticky with spilled drinks or worse. The specific name interpres means ‘messenger’.

Ruddy Turnstones are Sand Messengers from the Arctic.