Grey Phalarope: This morning I woke up to the news that Pete Kinsella had found a very showy grey phal on his local patch only to have a full schedule.
Today was my sisters baby shower in Chester, so I thought I would have no chance and no luck at seeing this bird, I thought by the time I was done it would have been spooked off and flown back out on to the Mersey.
But after filling my face with some lovely cake and hummus finger sandwiches as part of the afternoon tea and playing some dubious baby related games I was thrilled to hear the bird was still there.
Not only on the marina lake but on the small boating lake beside the gigantic one!
I've seen plenty of grey phals but not like this, this bird was swimming right past my lens, my face even, in many cases it was almost too close, if there is such a thing!
Grey Phalaropes are remarkable birds that spends its winters out at sea, feeding around cold current upwellings, where there will be plenty of food. Their migration is entirely over the sea, unlike the other two species of phalarope, which will migrate across land.
And its during the strong windy, stormy weather of September these little birds get blown off course and close to shore and sometimes into marina lakes, ponds and estuaries.
Such a super little bird, especially one so confiding!
