There is no season when saltmarshes are not captivating in some way. In spring come the nodding pink heads of Thrift Armeria maritima; in summer the purple haze of Common Sea-lavender Limonium vulgare; in autumn the rich red of the glassworts Salicornia – locally called samphire; and in winter the evocative calls of wildfowl and waders that deepen the loneliness of the marshlands.