Hanley Forrest Park

Well having a free day to my self with the Lesley and Gem going away to visit her parents I could choose how I spent the day, no real great plans of bombing off to some far flung corner of the country just a lazy stroll being on the cards.

With the Red Head Smew now being located at Hanley Forrest Park I thought I would go there I hadn't been there since I was a lad, looks like the park has been done up, but I didn't go far I just to stuck to the lake and watching this very showy Smew which put on a nice show, it even caught a fish while I was there. Although the poor thing did rather get mobbed by the Black Headed Gulls if they thought it had caught anything.

Something Smew

Although I had not heard any news about the Female Smew that had been spotted at Westport Lake on Wednesday as we fancied a afternoon stroll it seemed the perfect place with the outside bonus that it was still there.

When we got there a group of birders called us over (pays to where a scope on your back) and we were soon pointed in the direction of where the Smew was problem was it was the far corner from where we were. Gemma must have remembered seeing one before as she preferred to feed bread to the local ducks and coots instead.

On getting to the spot where it was last spotted it had done a bunk and it took a while to be re-found right where we had been standing which was now again the far end of the lake, this duck was keeping us fit!

But we tracked it down again only to loose it, Lesley decided to take Gem over to the park while I soldiered on in the hope of getting a shot or two, but my luck was suddenly in a it appeared in front of me by the visitor centre.

Now I just need a male to turn up some where!