Wilson's Phalarope

People have been wondering if I've dropped off the planet but, sometimes, you need to take a break, and this was such a time!

We had a wonderful holiday in the Pyrenees but, half-way through, learned that a Wilson's Phalarope had turned up on my local patch!! Several of these delicate American waders turn up in the UK each year....but very rarely does a summer-plumaged female turn up!

Because of the devastation caused by the floods in the area where we were staying, we decided to come home a day early, and the next morning I was up bright and early to see the Phalarope. It turned out that it was the last day it was seen.

You can read one person's experience on his website here that illustrates just how far birders were travelling from to see this special bird!

In Mill Copse, next to the pool, several spikes of Greater Butterfly Orchid were still flowering.