Storm Petrel

A storm petrel is smaller than a blackbird. It is pelagic. Which means it lives entirely on the wing. It doesn't need to land to rest or sleep. It only lands to breed. The Shetlands, Orkneys, North Hebrides and God knows where else.
See from this picture how small it is.
Kathleen Jamie came across a dead storm petrel on a cliff top path on the Isle of Rona. About 100 miles off the north west coast of Scotland. Rona is a small island maybe a couple of miles long.....uninhabited....remote...windswept....isolated.....storm ravaged... deserted
The dead bird had a ring on its leg.
So Kathleen took the leg and the ring back to Fife.
She entered the code details onto the British Museum website.
Bird caught Shetland Islands
Youngster
Kathleen could deduce from this that the dead bird
at her feet that day
was a 24 year old storm petrel
He had migrated south 6000 miles and back again
24 times.
If you can be bothered to do the math
Thats 288,000miles
This tiny bird no bigger than a song thrush
scooping krill from the sea surface
is one of the most amazing creatures
on the surface of our planet.