Birdwatch: strong winds bring Irish sea watchers the ultimate prize

Westerly winds brought a plethora of seabirds – and a glimpse of the first wandering albatross seen in British or Irish watersIt is official – this really was a poor summer in the UK and Ireland. According to Met Office figures it was the coolest in almost a decade – though still above the 1961-1990 average, showing the recent warming trend.It was also very windy with no fewer than 12 named storms, more than in any season since 2015, when names were first given to these extreme weather events on this side of the Atlantic. Continue reading...