Winter has arrived!

Last weekend, for me, was the last days of autumn. Generally in birding terms, this is usually the last dates for some major rare birds to turn out before the quieter winter period, and by the looks of the weather forecast the winter is going to start with a bang! With cold howling North-westerlies I managed to get to the coast during the last 3/4 hours of day light. West Runton looked out on to an angry looking North Sea and sky, and though hundreds of Black-headed Gulls were off-shore, no hoped for 'white-winged' gulls were up for grabs with birds of note being a brace of Pintail west with a Mallard and a fine immature Pomarine Skua scaring the crap out of the gulls as it passed just off shore.