Birders – especially those who, like me, live in western Britain – eagerly anticipate autumnal gales and storms, which arrive most years from the Atlantic Ocean to the west. These often bring migrating seabirds close inshore for a few hours, usually either side of high tide. Some unfortunate individuals may be driven inland, in what ornithologists call a “wreck”, after which they often perish.
In recent years, as a result of global climate breakdown, this storm season has extended well into the winter – as happened this January. Storms Isha and Jocelyn arrived in rapid succession, causing widespread damage, power cuts and deaths.
