Also along the channel during the low tide walk were 165 avocets, 120 black-tailed godwits, 300 lapwing, 1000 dunlin, 3 bar-tailed godwits, three knot and five ringed plovers - amongst lots of other regular waders. 
Four buzzards were enjoying the sunshine with this one perched on top of the seawall, also six marsh harriers seen while a short-eared owl was seen hunting over Langenhoe. A flock of 600 brent geese were grazing Reeveshall. In Fishponds Wood at Shop Lane a goldcrest was feeding with long-tailed tits.
Andy photographed this red squirrel on Wednesday beside Fishponds Wood in Shop Lane.
A second red squirrel photographed by Andy in Fishponds Wood on Wednesday was a bit shyer.
It was also calm on Wednesday morning along the Strood channel where a great northern diver was feeding among the boats behind the Dabchicks sailing club. Over in the Ray Channel 1000 brent geese sought refuge after being disturbed off the Feldy Marshes.
There were sunny conditions on Tuesday 11th along the Strood Channel and this stonechat perched beside the Firs Caravan site. Four great spotted woodpeckers were around the caravan site, while over the fields were two buzzards and a marsh harrier over Ray Island. Fifteen snipe flew off the grass field, while in the channel were 83 shelduck, 200 teal, 50 wigeon, 50 avocets and 20 black-tailed godwits.
A white-fronted goose was photographed by Richard Brown during his visit with permission onto the Langenhoe ranges on Monday 10th. Also seen out there were three short-eared owls in the air at the same time and at least thirty bearded tits feeding on the reed-tops in the early morning frost.
On Wednesday 12th Andy Field walked the Reeveshall seawall to Maydays and saw the velvet scoter in the Pyefleet channel. A short You Tube video of it is at - https://youtu.be/Scu_SIBkmQo?t=9
Other highlights were two peregines - with one chasing a merlin, six buzzards, three marsh harriers, short-eared owl on Langenhoe, eight red-breasted mergansers, two corn buntings, six redwing and a little owl at Maydays farm. A male merlin was watched sitting on the Maydays saltmarsh in the sun preening itself for 45 minutes.
Two brown hares were seen boxing on the Reeveshall / Maydays by Andy.
In West Mersea a female blackcap and a great spotted woodpecker were seen in Shaun Bater's garden in Estuary Park Road.
Birds noted along the Strood channel were 100 teal, 10 little grebes, 60 curlew, 44 avocets, one bar-tailed godwit, eight black-tailed godwits, a knot, two marsh harriers, two buzzards, a yellowhammer and a pair of mistle thrushes behind the caravan site. A fox was seen running over the Ray Island saltmarsh late morning.
Steve Grimwade visited Mersea on Tuesday morning and caught up with the velvet scoter in the Pyefleet off Maydays, also female merlin, 87 avocets, 500 dunlin, 11 red-breasted mergansers, two marsh harriers, three buzzards, five corn buntings and also a kingfisher by the Strood layby. Two great northern divers were later seen offshore through the gloom from the Esplanade. The presumed same two great northern divers were seen earlier on Tuesday close in off the Esplanade by Jonathan Norgate.
At Maydays on Monday the velvet scoter was seen in the Pyefleet again by Martin Cock and Steve Entwistle. Martin noted mid-morning a merlin, short-eared owl, two buzzards, three marsh harriers, seven pintail, two red-breasted mergansers, stonechat, yellowhammer, 12 corn buntings, seven redwing and 15 fieldfare.
Steve also noted during his visit to Maydays on Monday eight red-breasted mergansers, four little grebes, two bar-tailed godwits, five pintail, 15 golden plover, 200 dunlin, 50 avocets, corn bunting, three male yellowhammers, Cetti's warbler and four marsh harriers.
At Cudmore Grove Andy Field on Sunday morning reported two pairs of stonechats, water rail calling from the clubrush in the fields, 60-70 greylag geese flew north over the park, a snipe on the Golfhouse pools and a mistle thrush by the Golfhouse.
Steve Entwistle spent most of Sunday on the Maydays seawall and saw two short-eared owls, possibly three - one on Reeveshall and another one maybe two on Langenhoe, velvet scoter, four red-breasted mergansers, four buzzards, four marsh harriers, two kestrels, little owl, 27 linnets, 20 fieldfares, eight redwing, two rock pipits, two meadow pipits, two greenfinch and a red-legged partridge in Haycocks Lane. Also a Chinese Water deer was seen twice at Maydays.
A kestrel perched over Charlie and Nicola Pollard's garden in Shop Lane on Sunday 9th.
A great white egret flew out of the reeds along Broad Fleet at Reeveshall before dropping back down again on Sunday. fourteen red-breasted mergansers were feeding with the velvet scoter in the Pyefleet, and two female pintail were near the top end of the Pyefleet. Four fieldfare, redwing and thirty reed buntings were at Maydays.
On a drizzly Saturday 8th at Maydays, the velvet scoter was in the Pyefleet channel with 14 red-breasted mergansers, 70 avocets, 50 knot, 500 dunlin, two great crested grebes, three marsh harriers, sparrowhawk, Cetti's warbler, corn bunting, ten redwing, a leucistic starling, 30 reed buntings and 50 chaffinches.
David Bullock reported seeing a red kite flying over the north end of Dawes Lane on Saturday morning. At the south end of Dawes Lane Steve Entwistle saw 11 blackbirds, 11 pied wagtails, song thrush, six linnets, and two goldfinches in the field nearby.
Andy Field had a brief look out to sea at the Esplanade from the comfort of his car before the rain started blowing inside the car late Saturday morning. There were brief views of two great northern divers, Mediterranean gull and a few great crested grebes.
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