November twitch

Somehow, I find November a good month for twitching. Today, I went to a 1-st winter Grey Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius/Rosse Franjepoot); some years autumn gales bring singles or small groups inshore. This small wader breeds in the Arctic on coastal wet tundra. Sex roles are reversed; more attractively plumaged ♀♀ gather in flocks to compete for ♂♂, which tend eggs and young. They winter in the Atlantic off the African coast.
It was also a nice opportunity to test my 500mm lens, which has just been repaired and calibrated (the lens was heavily damaged when I tumbled over a stone after photographing Avocets on August 21-st, 2009). The bird was very tame and most of the time within the minimum focal distance. However, when it was not too close, I could take some photos. They were razorsharp. Test passed!