Smew Faith

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfI1S0PKJR8

We started our morning at the Beet Pits where a panicky flock of Lapwing gave us the heads up to look for a Peregrine and sure enough a very compact and small Peregrine flew across the back and away off towards Chettisham.   Just outside the Ely10 there are regular wintering Smew along the Ouse Valley gravel pits, although this year they have been pretty scarce.  A little gathering on the sailing pits at St Ives has included some smart drakes, White Nuns, alongside the redheads.  We enjoyed distant views of a drake and 4 redheads as soon as we arrived and after a while in poor light we decided to leave them.  Fortunately we met an old boy who described a few paths around the pits and we decided to explore a little further.  It didn't take much exploring to find the path around the lake and were soon enjoying some great views in nice light.
   

  

After a while the trio took flight, circled the pit and left so we continued our exploration.  We found 2 of the three Smew on the smaller pit and enjoyed them further from various vantage points, a Woodcock made a surprise fly past and Skylarks were singing their way into something that may have been a little warmth when the sun broke through. 

On our return leg we decided to have a look at the Chiffchaffs at Ely Sewage Works.  At least 3 collybita were nice and easy and then a very different beast popped up, a very good candidate for a tristis showed well.  On field characteristics and plumage a classic buff and white bird, but my memories of last years bird at Titchwell which also looked the real deal but was reportedly recorded with a call within the collybita range. A bit of work and luck will be needed to get some vocalisations if a clear positive ID is to be possible.