Wednesday 2nd. January 2013

Gone was yesterday's sunshine , but with a promise of half a day without rain , I set off to see if I could find the Smew that I saw posted yesterday , not for from a site where the Surrey Hedgelaying Group worked a few years ago . Spynes Mere was where we worked , but I was heading for Mercer's Lake close by , and used through the warmer months for aquatic sports . Although the car park was closed for the Winter , I soon found another entrance which could well be called 'The Somme' , as the footpath , although on a good gradient , proved something of a challenge . The report told of one drake and 1/2 redheads , but the lake is a good size and attracts a lot of gulls , not exactly what is needed when looking for the drake , an almost white bird .The footpath got somewhat better half way round , but no Smew were sighted , not helped by the thickly wooded banks of the lake , providing plenty of hiding places . Eventually I slipped and slithered around to the Water Sports Centre , where at least I was able to have a good look around from the vantage point . It seemed that every floating

platform was covered with gulls , with a high number being Greater Black-backed , like these two , and needless to say it was quite noisy . Along with the expected Coots , Moorhens , Cormorants

and Little  and Great Crested Grebes , there were lots of Tufted Ducks along with a few Pochard and various types of Mallard , but not what I was there for , until , from nowhere , a white blob popped up

out by a fallen tree , the drake Smew . But , as quickly as he appeared , he disappeared again , where to I don't know . Scanning the lake again , I failed to find him , but right over the other side I could just make out a redhead , tucked almost into the bank and the overhanging trees . I decided to trudge back to see if I could get a shot of her from the elevated footpath behind . Carefully , I managed to

get into position without spooking her , only to find that she wasn't alone , the drake was with her . I managed a few shots , but a dog walker with two dogs , closely followed by another birder came by and the birds saw one or both or all four , and flew off . I managed to follow them as they flew back towards the fallen tree and touch down just beyond . I followed , my boots now feeling like two blocks of concrete . On reaching the Centre , there was no sign of either bird , but once again the drake 'appeared' phantom-like , just beyond the tip of the fallen tree . A few minutes later , the

redhead appeared and had a wash and brush up , before rejoining the drake , then the two paddled off together , back across to the other side of the lake . I had to pass by again to get back to the car via 'The Somme' , and had a quick glimpse of the redhead but no sign of the drake . Back at the car the promised rain was imminent , but I decided to have a look around another couple of lakes , more open , with a housing development on one side and a landfill site on the other . There wasn't a great

deal to see , but there was a very tame Great Crested Grebe that posed quite happily just 15 mtrs. away , with no cover between us , most unusual , and several pairs of Gadwall , the males not looking

quite so dapper without the sun on them . I was about to call it a day , or should that be morning , when I met a local birder who said he was on his way to check out a spot where 8 Jack Snipe were seen at close range yesterday , so I asked if I could tag on . As it turned out , a good search by the two of us was in vain , as not a single 'bob' was seen , but if you don't look , you don't find . Getting back to the car it started to drizzle , which turned into rain on the way home .