Top Barn, Holt, Worcestershire - 8.12.18
I'm a little undecided what to do this morning the options being Worcester to photograph two male Smew or Wood Duck in a park in Ebbw Vale both being about an hour drive but in opposite directions. It's seven am and sat in the car ready for the off and I've decided the opportunity to see not one male Smew, but two together is too much of a temptation, so with the decision made I'm heading back up the M50 motorway.
Smew a rare winter visitor to the UK breeding in Sweden, Finland and Russia. The smallest duck of the sawbill family of ducks with the male being almost white in its plumage, the female "redhead" for some reason being the most commonly seen, seeing a white male is a rare special encounter.
The sat nav says "you have arrived at your destination"...I'm not recognise any of the location viewed on Google maps so it's out with the iPhone and maps, a quick review and I'm about half a kilometre from where I need to be.
Now parked I'm next to a small commercial fishing lake that's currently not in use and where the Smew are reported to be I scan the lake from the adjoining track... nothing, I'm beginning to think maybe in the wrong location. After checking out the immediate area and returning back to the car there is now another vehicle parked up with a birder peering down a telescope, he has the two Smew in view. Note to myself try harder ! after a chat all was ok I head off alone round the lake for the right sun angle.
The Smew are aware of my presence and always keep a constant distance but I have a plan for such occasions, when the ducks dive move as close as possible before they surface.
Over the next hour or so apart from one or two viewing from the track, it's just me alone photographing these scarce sawbills and quite different to the usual scores of people I've recently encountered on trips in the North West of England, a real pleasure to be out and about in this part of the country.
Smew a rare winter visitor to the UK breeding in Sweden, Finland and Russia. The smallest duck of the sawbill family of ducks with the male being almost white in its plumage, the female "redhead" for some reason being the most commonly seen, seeing a white male is a rare special encounter.
The sat nav says "you have arrived at your destination"...I'm not recognise any of the location viewed on Google maps so it's out with the iPhone and maps, a quick review and I'm about half a kilometre from where I need to be.
Now parked I'm next to a small commercial fishing lake that's currently not in use and where the Smew are reported to be I scan the lake from the adjoining track... nothing, I'm beginning to think maybe in the wrong location. After checking out the immediate area and returning back to the car there is now another vehicle parked up with a birder peering down a telescope, he has the two Smew in view. Note to myself try harder ! after a chat all was ok I head off alone round the lake for the right sun angle.
The Smew are aware of my presence and always keep a constant distance but I have a plan for such occasions, when the ducks dive move as close as possible before they surface.
Over the next hour or so apart from one or two viewing from the track, it's just me alone photographing these scarce sawbills and quite different to the usual scores of people I've recently encountered on trips in the North West of England, a real pleasure to be out and about in this part of the country.
Smew 1 (first winter male)
Smew 2 (first winter male)
Great low angle shots. Having one male Smew so close is a dream, but two is rather special.
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