Smew: (female) My first Smew, ok it's not a stunning white
cracked porcelain male but a red headed female and the pics aren’t great as the
birds was staying some distance away from the lens but never the less a great
bird.
It was a busy bird, feeding along the far side of the bank at the Phoenix Hide it seemed to be hanging around with the Tufted
Ducks.
Other birds to note were Willow Tit, Reed Bunting, Greater Spotted Woodpecker and a number of Jays at the feeding station
which was nicely stocked
up! I was suprised how samll this bird actualy is, only a little bigger then a Little Grebe must by far the samllest of the saw billed ducks. I know this stunning duck is a winter visitor but I was suprised to read (BTO) that their UK population is only 180 individuals.
Green Woodpecker: Another good tick of the day had to be this Green Woodie which was feeding on the grass bank at the foot of the Phoenix Hide. I must have missed it as I only caught it as it flew in to an old dead tree.