New Year birding 2023

On Sunday 1st January, I drove to Reydon via Wangford to avoid the flood at Potter's Bridge and I am glad I did as I saw 27 Curlews in a field just before Reydon Church I didn't try photographing them as they were walking away from the car. I arrived at The Drive, Reydon just after first light and instantly saw the Waxwing perched on top a tree further down the drive. There was an obvious berry laden tree right in front of me so i stayed in the car in order not to frighten the birds and sure enough within minutes the Waxwing in the company of a delightful trio of Redwings flew onto the berry laden tree and started devouring the berries. It then flew back to the tree but a female Sparrowhawk flew over and the Waxwing had disappeared, I got out of the car and joining Maurice who drew up behind me in the layby. I spied the Waxwing on top of a tall tree just west of the Drive. David B and his wife briefly drew up in their car. It then flew back to its original tree, as other birders were arriving we decided to leave. Driving back via wangford, I saw the Curlews again by Reydon Church and Kestrel, Collared Dove seen on the journey. A brief stop at Wrentham old cemetery warranted little. But stopping at Asda, a large female Peregrine was perched on the east side of the grain silo I drove around and managed a few pics, heavily cropped of course. At Ness Point initially, no sign of any Purple sandpipers, but along the ledge on the seaward side of the seawall opposite the north end of bird's Eye Factory, an Oystercatcher and Turnstone seen plus a Rock Pipit regularly returning to a hole half way up the sheer drop of the sewall, where the bottom half was encrusted with green seaweed. A Pied Wagtail also found some food here I'm assuming insects/ invertebrates? A tweet that a WB Diver might have been seen flying south at Waxham had me on high alert but I was delighted to see a close Fulmar flying north and soaring on stiff wings. I was joined by Julie who soon walked north and Phil H a wader that flew south past us was inconclusive views for me but walking north along the seawall had us watching first 1 then 4 then a maximum of 8 Purple Sandpipers feeding by the northern part of the ledge. Steve P and his group arrived and later a very sickly looking James B. I went to Corton woods, to show Phil H where Firecrest had been seen, Phil had it but I only saw the bird in flight so again inconclusive views for me, but not doubting the ID at all. We did see Goldcrest in the bushes just west of the pond. A tweet from James B and we were heading for the Corton MOD fields where from the road we could see 5 fine Tundra Bean Geese. A long awaited Lowestoft tick! TBC