Lapwing and samphire

So yes, I did go down to the coast today, having learnt the Brockenhurst/Lymington trains are slated for engineering works for the next week or so.  The weather, I have to say, couldn't have been better.  Chilly when I left Winchester and wonderfully mild for the rest of the time.  On the way down, both in the Itchen Valley and in the Forest there was thick mist for two metres above the ground and over that fabulous blue skies and sunshine.  

Apart from a variety of ducks, the birds I saw most of were lapwings, like this fella here.  AND I decided I really should know what the 'pink stuff' was they were feeding in (the same pink in the background of my recent stonechat blip).  Well I'm proud to say I remembered before I got home and looked it up - it's a kind of samphire that grows in saltmarsh.  I've put a close up in Extras.

So a pretty busy day but a very lovely one.  Hope yours was good too  xx