New Year .................slow start

New Years day I did not venture out at all and checking the reported news for Northumberland it seemed not many others out, got back home on the Saturday to feed the birds and put some fresh water out , got the usual garden species later in the day while at friends a regular flock of Herring Gulls and in with them, an Iceland Gull drifted past the window and I leapt up and ran to the door,people thinking i'm mad , the Herring Gulls that nest in the street never seem to stray far from their area. Eventually got out today had a walk down to the harbour 30+ Redwings over as I walked down the street no sign of the usual Stonechats along the beach road, but hundreds of Redwings passing over heading S/W wave after wave going over ,also lots of Skylarks but in smaller numbers ,and lots of distant birds unidentified, most Gulls on the shed roofs a few Eider in the Marina, 40 or so purple Sandpiper on the stone pier , and a flock of Goldfinch sitting with a Kestrel nearby in the old Wesley school site. There are some raised platforms overlooking the dunes which are good to look over the wall from , so looking for Snow Buntings and watching more Redwings over I heard what I thought was the flight call of a bird so turning to try and find it or them , I eventually worked out it was a fisherman and his rather large waders as they rubbed together when he walked along ........well I never was any good at wader calls !!!