There was still plenty of light in the sky as I headed southwards. Feeling like the day had more to offer I diverted towards an old favourite of mine - Farlington Marshes on the north shore of Langstone Harbour. I first came here in April 1987 with the YOC (happy days!) and saw my first ever Little Terns, Black-tailed Godwits, White Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat. I came back the following winter and added Brent Goose, Red-breasted Merganser and Grey Plover to my birdlist. Then Spotted Redshank, Grey Phalarope and a pair of Penduline Tits. Other good birds I've seen here include Spotted Crakes, Spoonbill, Melodious Warbler, Wryneck and Wilson's Phalarope. The place certainly holds fond memories for me (particularly the one involving about 8 of us in a YOC group stumbling across a topless woman sunbathing in the scrubby area!) but I've hardly even looked at the plants there.

I didn't stay for long, just one circuit past the lagoon, up to the point and round to the hut before heading back to the van. Interesting (by my standards) plants seen included Vervain, Sea Purslane, Rock Samphire, Grass-leaved Orache and Annual Seablite. I had a good hard look at a multitude of Glassworts but couldn't say much more than they seemed to be of various species. I know most have been lumped recently, maybe I'll leave them for a while...

Whilst the tide was out I jumped over the wall and had a little explore under a few bits of debris. I quickly sank ankle deep in muddy gloop but stuck with it anyway. Mostly Shore Crabs (Carcinus maenas) but I hit it good under one rock. A fish, and an eel at that! Please be a tiny conger, please be a tiny conger! Here's the pic proving beyond all doubt that it was, in fact, a bog standard Common Eel (Anguilla anguilla). Nevermind, I think it's the first one I've seen in a truly marine environment.

I worked five years in a fisheries and used to HATE it whenever an eel snuck in. Slime-ridden buggers (nearly as bad as Green Tench) but today I was positively thrilled to find one. How times have changed for me. Talking of which, the ONLY bird to make it into my notebook was Cetti's Warbler. Wow, talk about some seriously changed priorities from when I first came here 27 years ago! 

I'd almost completed the circuit and was feeling a tad disappointed with myself for not having identified anything new when I looked along the seawall and saw this puzzlement -

Luckily even I could manage to identify it...this was Golden-samphire (Inula crithmoides) and my final new plant of the day. Good ol' Farlington does it again!