Never mind Ryanair

This tiny aviator (a female wheatear) weighs no more than 'two tablespoons of salt' but is about to begin, or continue, a flight to Africa that could total 9000 miles if she's on  a stopover en route from the Arctic. Or she may have summered in West Wales, raised her brood here and is now readying herself for take-off, once she's packed enough calories on board.

It's just in recent years that geolocators have been made small enough to attach to these little birds and the result has surprised ornithologists. Only the Arctic tern, a larger bird, exceeds their range.  Additionally wheatears follow two migration routes and depending on their starting point either cross the Atlantic and wing their way over Europe to West Africa, or head to Siberia and pursue a flightpath across Arabia to East Africa.*

Whether she's on a touch down or from hereabouts this little bird will be her own pilot for the flight ahead.

*More about that here.