Leach's Storm Petrel

This little bird also belongs on the open ocean and visited us after the same storm, in November 2022. It skimmed low over the mudflat in front of the dyke, its white rump clearly visible. Leach's storm petrel is not much bigger than a swallow and breeds on remote islands in the Atlantic, such as St Kilda. It only reaches its nest at night, to avoid gulls and skuas. The rest of the year it is at sea, far from the coast. Only heavy storms sometimes drive it inland, and with luck you can then spot it from the dyke. With its bouncing, almost bat-like flight it is unmistakable, even if you only see it for a few seconds.