Happy Smew Year!

A great start to the new year list began with the cracking male Smew at Caldecotte Lake. We hoped it would still be there despite a negative report the day before - and we were lucky to find it busily feeding amongst Black-headed Gulls and a trio of Goosander. Unfortunately the light was not brillant and this photo is, at best, a record shot.

Smew at Caldecotte

After watching the Smew for a while we hastened to the north lake to look for the Great Northern Diver. Here again we were lucky and found the diver feeding just off the northern bank.

We then went to Linford Lakes to see if we could bag the Great White Egret. Unfortunately it had gone AWOL to Brogborough and by the time we got there it had returned to Bucks!! Nevertheless we did get good views of Goldeneye on the lake and Marsh Tit and Water Rail from the Woodland Hide. Whilst scanning the lake to see what was about we were visited, in the hide, by a very trusting young Robin.

Our friendly Robin

Marsh Tit

We returned to Bedfordshire and dipped on the GWE. After lunch we went for a walk round Stewartby Lake but with the weather rapidly deteriorating we were lucky to locate the GND which was fishing in the lea the Marston Corner. After a brief visit to the Gull Watchpoint we retreated from the increasingly wet weather.