Friday 17th. February 2012

After a reasonable day yesterday , working up on the Common , where I saw my first Queen Wasp of the year and a Buff-tailed Bumblebee , and Carol had a Red Admiral in the garden , today was cloudier but still mild . I set just one target species for the day , having failed to see it at Mote Park recently , I headed for New Hythe , the patch of Phil / Sharp by Nature , to see if I could make contact with the Smew that he saw there recently . Arriving just after 0830 and parking in Brooklands car park , I set off around Brooklands Lake . A good scan from one of the fishing platforms told me that the Smew were not on this lake . I did however catch a raft of about 20

Pochard still sleeping , till one gave the alarm and they headed further out . A dozen of them made it into the viewfinder . There was also a female Goldeneye on the lake , but she was very distant into the light . Phil had seen the Smew in the corner of Abbeymead near the railway crossing , so that was where I headed , trying to keep out of view along the railway path , only emerging almost at the corner . As I emerged , I could just make out two redheads in the corner , but they had no problem

spotting me , and flew off immediately . I took a couple of quick shots , once again into what light there was ,  just in case it was to be my only sighting .I managed to keep them in sight , and they dropped down by the large reedbed on the far side of the lake . I made my way along the end of the lake to reach the high ground overlooking the reedbed , albeit at distance . To my joy , the two

redheads had landed to join another two , and a very smart looking drake . That was when things started going wrong , when workmen with a digger started moving along the high path along between the lake and the river , with flashing yellow lights . I thought Phil might be on his way , so I did him a text and he rang me to say he was along the side of Brooklands , so I told him where I and the Smew were . Then the workmen came along the track again , with a large yellow thing swinging from the jib of the digger . That was it , the drake and two of the redheads took off , and after a

circuit of the lake , disappeared in the direction of the 'raptor viewpoint' . The other two redheads

stayed put for a short while , then they flew back to the corner of the lake where I had seen the first
two birds . I rang Phil to tell him the new position , but before he got there , the two birds flew off again , probably over Phil's head , heading for Brooklands Lake . When I finally met up with Phil , he was not alone , he had obviously brought a 'minder' with him , a chap he referred to as 'Uncle John' , but I'm sure that was just cover . From that side of the lake the digger with it's light was plain to see , so understandable why the timid birds flew off . After a chat , we split up , Phil and his 'minder/Uncle' heading for streamside over the railway , whilst I headed back to Brooklands to see if any of the birds landed there . They hadn't , but whilst passing , I managed a distant shot of the

female Goldeneye , which turned out to be as evasive as the one on the Trout Lake a couple of visits ago , as it took much walking backwards and forwards around the lake to get this poor shot . Other

interest were the Cormorants , some well into breeding plumage , the on the right being almost a 'silver-neck' . I was planning to head for Phil's bucket seat alongside the river , when another text from Phil , '6 Smew at Johnson Lake' . Great I thought , then the penny dropped , I don't know which lake is Johnson lake .
Another text to and from Phil , and I was heading down to the Water Works entrance , ignoring the Bittern viewpoint , for the time being , and heading for the East Scrub area . Once there , I tried to get around Johnsons Lake , but wasn't sure how to . I had got around to the houses , but couldn't get any further , so came back again . I was just taking a blow , watching a mixed flock of Goldfinches and Siskins on an Alder , when a whistle announced the arrival of Phil and his heavy . They had spent the time trying to get near the bird , but had found it very difficult . They headed off back to the car park and I decided to have a try for the birds , now Phil had told me how to get around the lake . I

wandered around finding several male Shoveller , but only odd glimpses of redhead Smew . A very

confiding Great Crested Grebe gave a rare close up photo opportunity , and the best I could manage

 with the Smew , was a single redhead , as the cloud started to roll in at a pace . I decided to call it a

day , and heading back to the car managed to photograph an almost tame Cormorant on Tesco Lake , a possible Water Vole , just movement of reed and bubbles across the ditch , the first Goat Willow

flowers on the other side of the same ditch . A quick stop at Lunsford Lane and the Trout Lake produced very little , apart from a Rabbit , which , had I been quicker , was sitting a metre off the

ground on a tree stump , unusual . Good meeting up again today Phil , good to meet your 'heavy' too .
Can we just forget about that branch falling ?