Old Hall Marshes NR RSPB 10:00 to 15:45, Cold. Mostly cloudy but cloud cleared mid afternoon. Selected highlights, lots of wildfowl and waders
12 Little Grebe (Salcott Channel) 2 Great Northern Diver (One at mouth of Salcott Channel, one off West Mersea) 113 White-fronted Goose (flew over from NE towards the Blackwater 11:15 then returned midday and appeared to land between Salcott Channel and Wigborough) 7 Barnacle Goose 2 Eider (Female type off tip of reserve) 1 Long-tailed Duck (further up Salcott Channel than recent reports) 16 Red-breasted Merganser 3 Marsh Harrier (+) 1 Buzzard 1 Peregrine Falcon 1 Kestrel 1 Greenshank (Heard) 2 Barn Owl (Hunting at far end, one 1:15 - 1:45, the other 1:30 - 1:45) 1 Water Pipit (On pools within reserve not too far from metal caged structure in Salcott Channel ) 11 Stonechat 2 Cetti's Warbler (Heard) 24 Corn Bunting (+ birds arriving and may have been joined by more gathering to roost beside dyke adjacent to Salcott Channel towards west end) [James Davidson]

Old Hall Marshes NR RSPB 13:00 to 16:00, walk round the long route with scope
1 Buzzard 1 Sparrowhawk (male on a post) 6 Marsh Harrier 1 Merlin (female on a low bush) 1 Peregrine Falcon (in a tree) 2 Barn Owl (hunting together) 2000 Golden Plover 35 Ringed Plover 3 Grey Plover 20 Knot 2000 Dunlin 16 Turnstone 5 Rock Pipit 3 Reed Bunting 2 Meadow Pipit 2 Stonechat 1500 Brent Goose 1 Black Brant (with brents) 2 Bearded Tit (heard) 5 Fieldfare 3 Cetti's Warbler (heard) 24 Red-breasted Merganser [Oliver Cottis]

Old Hall Marshes NR RSPB 13:30 to 15:30, Walk along v muddy Salcott path and back
1 Long-tailed Duck 1 Red-breasted Merganser (Female) 20 Grey Plover 500 Lapwing 4000 Golden Plover 3 Marsh Harrier 1 Peregrine Falcon (Large female) 1 Merlin (female flushed on way back to car) 1 Knot (25) 450 Dark-bellied Brent Goose 1 Barnacle Goose [Matt Turner]

Old Hall Marshes NR RSPB 11:30 to 13:00, Sunny with light breeze (11.30-15.00)
1 Great Northern Diver (juvenile at east end in mouth of Salcott channel) 1 Long-tailed Duck (imm male in Salcott channel) 12 Red-breasted Merganser 1000 Golden Plover (+ Huge flock over Salcott channel and Bale field) 32 Grey Plover 100 Dunlin (+) 5 Marsh Harrier 1 Peregrine Falcon 1 Black Brant (Salcott) [Sean Nixon]

Old Hall Marshes NR RSPB 13:30 to 15:30, Walk along v muddy Salcott path and back
1 Long-tailed Duck 1 Red-breasted Merganser (Female) 20 Grey Plover 500 Lapwing 4000 Golden Plover 3 Marsh Harrier 1 Peregrine Falcon (Large female) 1 Merlin (female flushed on way back to car) 1 Knot (25) 450 Dark-bellied Brent Goose 1 Barnacle Goose [Matt Turner]

Old Hall Marshes NR RSPB 13:00 to 13:00,
1 Black Brant (Salcott) 1 Pink-footed Goose (Salcott) 1 Merlin 7 Marsh Harrier 2 Raven (On Bale field) 1 Great Northern Diver (adult at eastern end) 31 Avocet (Salcott Channel) 1 Spotted Redshank (Salcott Channel) [Sean Nixon]

Old Hall Marshes NR RSPB 13:00 to 13:00,
1 Black Brant (Salcott) 1 Pink-footed Goose (Salcott) 1 Merlin 7 Marsh Harrier 2 Raven (On Bale field) 1 Great Northern Diver (adult at eastern end) 31 Avocet (Salcott Channel) 1 Spotted Redshank (Salcott Channel) [Sean Nixon]

Old Hall Marshes NR RSPB 10:10 to 14:45, Complete but light cloud cover, quite windy to start with but easing. Tide modetate at start, becoming very low.
2 Great Northern Diver (Open sea between two channels, distant) 8 Little Grebe (Salcott Channel) 45 Pintail 3 Eider (Open sea between channels, quite distant) 15 Red-breasted Merganser (Salcott Channel) 2 Marsh Harrier (Females) 1 Kestrel 1000 Golden Plover (All in one flock wheeling over Salcott Channel, both sides. Best estimate (count and extrapolate). ) 100 Black-tailed Godwit (Estimate) 9 Avocet (outer Salcott Channel) 52 Fieldfare 1 Bullfinch (Flew over car park) 1 Reed Bunting 1 Raven (Flew low over marsh just inland of Salcott Channel) [Simon Banks]

Old Hall Marshes NR RSPB 08:45 to 15:15, Full circuit
1 Black Brant 2 Great White Egret 7 White-fronted Goose 6 Barnacle Goose 1 Long-tailed Duck 3 Peregrine Falcon 28 Red-breasted Merganser 3 Common Scoter 3 Great Northern Diver 1 Red-throated Diver 1 Short-eared Owl 7 Bearded Tit 3 Cetti's Warbler 1 Sparrowhawk 2 Buzzard 7 Marsh Harrier 8 Rock Pipit 1 Water Rail 1 Scaup (1st winter drake) 1500 Golden Plover 12 Stonechat [Steve Grimwade]

Old Hall Marshes NR RSPB 12:30 to 16:20, Bright, nippy with Stiff wind
7 White-fronted Goose (With Greylags on long walk) 2 Merlin (Female seen across fields at far side of the long walk. 2nd seen late in poor light chasing a Pipit over the short cropped fields on way back car park) 3 Marsh Harrier (1 female and 2-3 males ) 3 Barnacle Goose (With Brents in field near car park) [Paul Kingston]

Old Hall Marshes NR RSPB 10:25 to 15:00,
1 Short-eared Owl (furthest point on long walk, hunting) 1 Merlin (long walk, female on a fence post) 20 Avocet 600 Golden Plover (roughly) 8 Red-breasted Merganser 2 Buzzard 1 Sparrowhawk (female) 5 Kestrel 4 Marsh Harrier 1 Great Northern Diver (seen by someone else) 6 Rock Pipit 3 Meadow Pipit 1 Pintail (salcott channel) [Oliver Cottis]