Grey Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius.
The Atlas indicated Grey Phalarope was rare with an average of two birds a year in the 1980s and one a year in the 1990s. Over the 10 years to 2018 LBR reflects a slight increase with annual records generally in the range from one in 2017 to six in 2013, around 3-4 a year. However, 2014 bucked the trend and produced the largest movement of Grey Phalarope ever seen in Lincolnshire with a total in the region of 39 birds. The largest previous annual total had been 12 in 2007. The events of 2014 took place in October around The Wash and started with three seen from a boat off Tabs Head on October 16th. Then 15 birds were seen moving south off Gibraltar Point on October 18th, with another 12 the following day, three on 21st and three more on 23rd. The winds through this period were predominantly south-westerly and strong. Summer records are very rare and in August 2015 Alkborough Flats had a moulting adult, only the third August record in Lincolnshire and the first since 1985. Of the spring records, the bird which was seen at Paradise Pool, Saltfleet on April 5th 2020 was still in winter plumage, but in Mark Johnson's photograph, above, the first few chestnut feathers of summer plumage can be seen appearing along the flank. There were also three winter records during the 10-year period: Gibraltar Point in January 2010, Frampton Marsh in December 2015 and Tetney Marshes in January 2016, the latter reported as only the 8th Lincolnshire winter record.