Turnstone

🔍 Overview
A sturdy, energetic wader found along Sussex shingle and rocky coasts in all seasons. Known for flipping stones to find prey.

🪶 Key Identification Features

• Size: Small wader (22–24 cm)

• Plumage: Bold black-and-white in summer; duller in winter

• Distinctive Marks: Orange legs, short stubby bill

• Bill: Slightly upturned and strong

• Tail: Short with white edges

• Flight: Low and direct over water

🗺️ Habitat & Distribution
Coastal around Sussex year-round, especially in winter at sites like Lower Adur Valley, Brighton Marina, Worthing and Lancing Beaches.

🎶 Voice & Behaviour
Sharp “kit-kit-kit” call. Often in tight flocks, probing between stones.

🍴 Diet
Invertebrates, small crustaceans, molluscs.

📸 Birding Tip
Check tide lines and shingle at low tide, often in company with other waders.