What A Difference A Day Makes!

I'm in receipt of some brilliant images of some equally brilliant birds which have recently been on and around the River Lune.

'Probable' Siberian Chiffchaff Tuesday 6 January. Howard Stockdale.

The header for this post - and the one above - is of a 'probable' Siberian Chiffchaff, found on St Georges Quay in Lancaster, and recorded by two local birders.

'Redhead' Smew Tuesday 6 January. Howard Stockdale.

On the very same day 6 January, a 'redhead' Smew was an excellent find by another Lancaster birder. As opposed to the Chiffchaff, this little diver excited many a birder for a couple of days....What a difference a day makes!

I am grateful to Howard Stockdale for the permit to use his images in this post.

I'd sooner be birding, but unfortunately I'm not at the moment 😢

The Smew.

It was great to see a Smew 'redhead' found yesterday 6 January on the River Lune in Lancaster. This find was the first in the LDBWS area since one found at Aldcliffe 13 years ago in January 2013, and gave me an incentive to do some research through my records for a bit of history about the Smew in our recording area.

Drake Smew. Jan Larsson.

I was able to rewind 37 years where I found a redhead Smew recorded at Leighton Moss in November 1988 by John Wilson. When I traced back to the 1990's, personal records read that I found a drake Smew on 22 November 1992, which returned to the then named Dockacres for many years.

Redhead Smew. Pete Woodruff. 

After this bird, my selective records are....

December 1992. Two redhead Smew present at Leighton Moss RSPB Reserve, one saltmarsh, one Public Hide.

December 1992. Drake Smew on the River Lune at Snatchems. Six days later I found a drake Smew at Greyhound Bridge on the River Lune, and presumed it to be the same bird. 

March 1993. I found a drake Smew at Blea Tarn Reservoir, Lancaster. I regard this record as one of the earlier magical moments of my birding.

Through the 1990's, the Smew was recorded in the LDBWS recording area as a 'scarce but almost annual winter visitor'.

February 2009. A redhead Smew Leighton Moss.

January 2010. A redhead Smew Freeman's Pool 24 January to 21 March.

December 2012. A redhead at Leighton Moss, moved between three sites to be last seen at Aldcliffe 28 March.

January 2013. A redhead at Aldcliffe 25 January to 1 March.

Thereby the tale of the missing Smew begins....until 13 years later 6 January 2026 that is!

Thanks to Lancaster birder Barrie Cooper for this excellent record of this excellent and scarce bird.

Reviewing 2025.

I enjoyed flicking through the little black book for some highlights of birds found or seen through 2025. It was never going to be regarded as a spectacular year, but at least it resulted in getting much more of a fix from my birding than anything else.

* Excellent species and or location records....Photos & Video Pete Woodruff.

January

15  Bullfinch pair Lanc's Cemetery *

17  Common Scoter Stone Jetty M'cbe

17  Scaup Broadway M'cbe

25  Blackcap male home garden *

February

13  Hen Harrier male C'sand

18/ 27 Marsh Harrier female C'sand

March

6  Tundra Bean Goose with c.5,000 Pink-footed Geese C'sand *

12  Barnacle Goose Conder Pool *

12  March Harrier C'sand

12  Whooper Swan c.500 C'sand *

19  Hen Harrier in flight N>S over Moss Lane C'sand

20  Bullfinch 2xmale/female Lanc's cemetery *

24  Mediterranean Gull adult/Little Ringed Plover Conder Pool

26  Spotted Redshank Conder Pool

April

9  Garden Warbler Crag Wood early record *

11  Ring Ouzel female Hawthornthwaite *

29  Willow Warbler at least 50 Birk Bank circuit

29  Bullfinch 2/Cuckoo 2 Birk Bank *

May

7  Crossbill 15 Tower Lodge Bowland *

18 Cetti's Warbler Glasson

28 May Little Gull 2 x 2nd summer Conder Pool *

June

25 June 7 of 17 Mediterranean Gull Conder Pool *

July

9 Swift at least 20 Fairfield Lanc's

August

6 Green Woodpecker Birk Bank *

20 Yellow Wagtail 2 Conder Pool * 

22 Ruff 20/Wood Sandpiper Heversham Moss

28 Ruff 19/Green Sandpiper Conder Pool *

September

5 Greenshank 32 Conder Pool *

9 Curlew Sandpiper Lune Estuary

25 Crossbill pair Ottergear Bridge *

October

8 Oct 9 of 18  Whooper Swan Conder Pool *

30 Merlin male C'sand

November

12 Snow Bunting 2 C'sand

20 November Bewick's Swan 2 Slack Lane C'sand *

24 Pintail drake Conder Pool

24 Pink-footed Geese c.3,500 Slack Lane C'sand

25 November Barnacle Goose Lune Estuary *

December

23 Brent Geese 52 Heysham

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Hoping you have good birding in 2026....

A Very Happy New Year