You have to take your hat off...

-2 this morning as I defrosted the car and headed for Boulmer to meet Stewart. As I pulled up at Seaton Point Stewart was appearing out of the half light with a tale of a Great Northern Diver past. The plan was to take a look on the sea as it was high tide.
As we approached the steps that lead down to the beach though we noticed birds feeding on the high tide line, rotting seaweed in a line a couple of metres or so wide and stretching out towards Foxton to the south. Immediately Stewart shouted Water Pipit!!. 

A good birder is aware, aware of what is going on around him, sights sounds movements etc, some though are aware of what might or could be going on around them. To call a bird like this from a glimpse and bearing in mind it was freezing cold and hardly light is impressive. Ok it could have been wrong, but it wasn't. A fabulous Water Pipit, very flighty which meant we had to walk the length of the beach a few times to try and get a photograph or two and some better views. 

Rock Pipit including several littoralis, Meadow Pipit, a dozen or so Pied Wagtail, two Grey Wagtail and Robins also feeding on the weed strand.

 

After time spent enjoying the Pipits in the freezing cold we were desperately in need of tea, back to the car, thawed a bit then north into Boulmer village to walk north to Longhoughton Steel, nothing more than a pleasant wander, a few birds but this morning.. we had peaked early.

Well, it was all about the call today, yes we may have watched the pipits long enough to pick out the bird but perhaps we wouldn't have done. Some times you just have to take your hat off to a brilliant bit of birding..