1 January 2023 - Hollingworth Lake
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The new year started with heavy rain, and after a few days of very little in the way of birdlife, I wasn't expecting much. All that changed when a message came through from Simon that he'd found a redhead Smew just off the nature reserve. At the same time the clouds parted and a bit of blue sky appeared, so I hot-footed it to the nature reserve as quickly as I could. Luckily the Smew was still present, though showing distantly from the road, and diving regularly. It was associating with two male Tufted Ducks, and seemed to be closer to the footpath near the reserve, so I walked quickly round and viewed it from the path. It was slightly closer from that side, but not much. After getting a few record shots, it dived and then seemed to disappear. As I waited, the familiar sound of calling Pinkfeet could be heard, and eventually they came into view, a skein of around 70 or so flying East. (Actually 74, counted later from photos).
Thinking the Smew may have moved onto the reserve, I went and sat in the hide for a while. There was no sign, although another skein of Pinkfeet (110) went through, distantly over Ealees Valley. I came out of the hide for another look from the path and the Smew was there again. I managed a few more photos, and Simon reappeared, but by this time the rowing boats were out and approaching the reserve. The Smew was looking very wary, and at 10:35 while I was looking at the back of my camera, it took off and flew away, never to be seen again. All in all, it was on view intermittently for just an hour.
While rushing round to the reserve, I'd earlier seen several Siskins feeding on the ground in the base of the willow patch with Goldfinches. The weather stayed clear for most of the rest of the day, but there wasn't really much else to see, apart from a female Kestrel perched on a telegraph pole, a small group of 8 Pinkfeet quite low over the lake going south-west, and a Sparrowhawk over the estate on my way back.
Not long after finding the Smew, Simon saw an adult Med Gull flying over Shaw Moss, so spurred on by this, I went to look through the gull roost in the afternoon. There were lots of people around and it was quite windy, but eventually I chanced upon a Med Gull, viewing from Rakewood Road. I could see it through the scope but couldn't find it in my bins or the camera, so I took a few photos in the general direction of where I thought it was, and luckily it turned out I'd managed to get it on film! A small party of three Goosander were near the reserve, not present earlier in the day. All-in-all, not a bad start to the year!
Smew, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 1250
Smew, 1/160 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 500
Pink-footed Geese Over The Lake, 1/640 sec, f/5.0, 200 mm, ISO 100 (view full size image)
Pink-footed Geese Over Ealees, 1/640 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 100 (view full size image)
Pink-footed Geese Low Over The Lake, 1/320 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 100 (view full size image)
Mediterranean Gull, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 8000