Bumper week for Phalarope species with almost 450 individual birds logged across Britain and Ireland

 

One of two Grey Phalaropes that has spent most of this week at Anglian Water's Covenham Reservoir, near Louth in Lincolnshire  

This has been a bumper week for Grey Phalaropes with now fewer than  440 individuals logged at various British and Irish waters.

The biggest count is believed to have been the 60 reported on a single day at Brandon Point in Co Kerry.

The birds are believed to have been blown off course by recent strong westerlies on their southerly migration down the Atlantic.

One bird, alas, died after colliding with overhead power lines in Childswickham in Worcestershire.

Over the same period, there have also been sightings of nine Red-necked Phalaropes in England including two at RSPB Titchwell in Norfolk  where one perished apparently after having being snatched by a passing Hobby.  

      

Well camouflaged - in autumn plumage, phalaropes can be tricky to spot as they hunt for insects in choppy waters