These little birds spend the winter at sea and are only seen on land when blown to shore by storms. This one (which I photgraphed in NOovember 2006) was clearly exhausted as I was able to get really close to it. It had come to rest in what was effectively a puddle along a the dry bed of a stream in Crimdon Dene, Hartlepool. . I hope it recovered enough to fly back to see as it was not there next time I went that way.