The dubious pleasures of bloke-ish sea-watching

So the season has changed, and cold winds of Autumn have taken the place of the balmy days of Summer. To put it another way, the feminine pink-and-fluffy butterflies and flowers give way to the dubious grey pleasures of bloke-ish sea-watching.

North winds have got the birders excited (and cold) and no doubt we'll hear spectacular reports soon. My own meagre participation produced a Short-eared Owl that flew off the sea and over the cliffs and a new Black Redstart at Kingsdown, with four Bonxies and four Little Gulls at Oare - most of which were actually found by others, but which I was able to validate (ahem).
Fortunately the sea-watching at Oare is complemented by the superb floods behind the sea wall, holding large numbers of Black-tailed Godwits and Golden Plovers at high tide, with a good range of other species including some Ruff. Some say there's a White-tailed Sandpiper there too, but I think this is just a rumour.
Some of the estuary flock of Avocets were on the flood too, brightening up the dark day.

There were new arrivals at Foreness in the delicate shape of Sanderlings, with a flock of 200 trying to avoid the attentions of local dogs and their owners. Dylan (who had been there since first light) kindly refrained from commenting on my mid-morning arrival.

Back at the pink-and-fluffy for a moment, a walk around Lydden was a little gloomy when the sun was hidden, but some compensation was had from a surprisingly late violet (which?) ...
.... and an unusual herb that might be Winter Savory. But my botany skills are as limited as my birding ones, so it probably isn't.
And don't get me started on fungi.........