The purple sandpiper is a small wading shorebird, which breeds in the arctic.

This picture was taken during my trip to Svalbard in July 2023, just outside of Longyearbyen, close to the arctic tern breeding grounds by the airport.

It was a rainy day, and the plan was to bird watch from a small bird watching house by an arctic tern breeding ground. As soon as we exited the car the terns started chasing us away.

While retreating to give the terns their space (they attack because they're stressed about their young) and protect our heads, I noticed this little purple sandpiper looking at us from the side of the road.

They're so cute 🥹

Atlantic puffin spotted at Svalbard, July 2023. We were on a boat trip with Better Moments, going from Longyearbyen to Ny-Ålesund.

This particular picture was taken somewhere close to Alkhornet, a cliff in Isfjorden where many murres and puffins nest.

Atlantic puffin spotted at Svalbard, July 2023. We were on a boat trip with Better Moments, going from Longyearbyen to Ny-Ålesund.

Mountains somewhere between Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund, in Svalbard. This was taken from a small RIB boat, during a day trip with Better Moments.

I love the landscapes in Svalbard, and I love the variety of scenery we had during this trip. These mountains were very pointy and rough and rather barren, but during the same trip we also saw very green bird cliffs (the bird droppings fertilizes them), rounded fjords, big plateaus, glaciers, and long flat beaches with walruses on them.

Mountains somewhere between Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund, in Svalbard. This was taken from a small RIB boat, during a day trip with Better Moments.

I love the landscapes in Svalbard, and I love the variety of scenery we had during this trip. These mountains were very pointy and rough and rather barren, but during the same trip we also saw very green bird cliffs (the bird droppings fertilizes them), rounded fjords, big plateaus, glaciers, and long flat beaches with walruses on them.

Little auk in flight, photographed in Bjørndalen by Longyearbyen in Svalbard.

When visiting Svalbard in 2017, I fell completely in love with the cute little auks and the tough thick-billed murres, which can be found all over. So when returning to Svalbard in 2023, I did several hikes to see them on the mountains surrounding Longyearbyen.

They're beautiful and noisy little birds, and I hope to see them again sometime.

Little auk in flight, photographed in Bjørndalen by Longyearbyen in Svalbard.

When visiting Svalbard in 2017, I fell completely in love with the cute little auks and the tough thick-billed murres, which can be found all over. So when returning to Svalbard in 2023, I did several hikes to see them on the mountains surrounding Longyearbyen.

They're beautiful and noisy little birds, and I hope to see them again sometime.

Arctic terns flying back to the nest with freshly caught fish, right outside of Longyearbyen in Svalbard.

Arctic tern flying back to the nest with freshly caught fish, right outside of Longyearbyen in Svalbard.