Its oh so quiet...

 ...but not so still with a moderate SW breeze blowing. It was fair until 11am when the heavens opened.

Down at Boulmer, we walked the Longhoughton Steel end seeing very little indeed. A Peregrine showed twice and 5 Meadow Pipits were on the main track but that was about it.

Back at the car park for tea, a female Merlin went north over the rocks, a male Red breasted Merganser was in the rising tide of the haven and the usual waders were on the shore with 80+ Dunlin, 5+ Grey Plover, 13 Bar tailed Godwits, 7 Knot and 300+ Black headed Gulls. 

One second year gull had us quizzing about Caspians and Yellow legged but it was just a Herring Gull.

A walk south to Seaton Point for a sit and watch type of thing. 3 Red throated Divers were offshore a nice plump Woodcock struggled in off the sea low and landing on the rocks before we lost it, then the rain began.

When we used to do our Winter Atlas tetrads, they began after 13th November, so I suppose this is the start of early winter. The weather forecasts some stiff  Northerlies on Thursday so they might produce more than the expected Little Auks, if it comes true.

So quiet in fact we were pondering a young Herring Gull for a while...