Northern Wheatear

While we were at the top of La Rhune, the highest Pyrénées-Atlantiques peak, we encountered a Northern Wheatear. I can remember seeing this attractive litte bird before, on Hadrian's Wall in the north of England, many years ago.

Northern Wheatears breed in the British Isles, and in Greenland, but spend the winter in tropical Africa. The one we saw in the Pyrenees I suspect was on its way back to central Africa from Greenland. All Northern Wheatears cross into Africa via Spain though. Their migration route is 30 000 kilometres there and back.

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