Storm Driven

The wind and rain that we experienced in Wales last week had its effect on a species of bird that was already migrating south from its Arctic breeding grounds. Grey Phalaropes breed in Spitsbergen and two were blown onto the Lancashire coast. One turned up at Crosby and the other, featured in this weeks blog,  spent three days at a Lancashire moorland reservoir. I could hardly resist going to have a look at one of my favourite Arctic birds. Having filmed them in their red breeding plumage in Spitsbergen and Alaska it was hard to believe that the bird I was now looking at in the foam and scum of a Lancashire moorland reservoir was the same bird. Click here
I wish it well and hope it survives to return to Spitsbergen next summer to breed.