Smew, Whoopers & Dunwich

On Saturday 25th January, approaching Dunwich five ways the 11 adult Bewick's Swans were still in the field to the left of the road, although much further back than usual.I started at Minsmere from the mound by the old car park, I saw Chris M and Peter N who had just had the redhead Smew but she had disappeared. After ten minutes I spotted the fine redhead Smew along the left hand end of the pool, slightly obscured by foliage from a Willow tree. She then swam out to the middle, constantly diving and eating caught food. Paul & Jane F joined us. After a while I left to check to see if the Whoopers were about, from just past the West hide, I saw a Mute Swan on the pool opposite. Also I could see some Pintail with several males on the scrape. Walking up the south hide, no sign of the Swans by the pool opposite. However, I could 7 large Swans asleep on the south scrape that looked promising for Whoopers. Ivan L came out of the hide and confirmed this and especially nice to bump into Brian S to whom I had a chat. In the hide. It was clear all Swans asleep were 7 Whooper Swans. There were 2 adults mostly asleep on a nearer island/ spit, whilst a group of 5 Whoopers were on an island/ spit further back with 3 of their number immatures. The Swans at the back 1 or 2 woke up. Whilst the nearest 2, the one on the left woke up, flapped its wings and then promptly went back to sleep! So a great start at Minsmere. next stop Dunwich beach car park and 5 Sky Larks seen on the walk down mainly on the vegetated bits of land near the car park, I also saw a Great White Egret fly right over the distant marshes. I walked down and joined Jane & Paul F who hadn't relocated the Twite, always difficult to see. However we enjoyed a nice flock of 25 feeding Snow Buntings, around 7 were males . Seen in flight by the ridge then feeding near the feeding station and giving nice views at one stage. Jane spotted 2 Great White Egrets flying left over the distant marshes and we also had a nice flock of 80 Linnet with a very distinctive white headed bird, which looked for the world like it had a Snow Bunting head on a Linnet body! It was pure white with a brown patch on the ear coverts/ cheek. It was seen perched on grassy vegetation and even picked out easily in flight the white head was a real stand out. We walked back checking the marshes as we went but the famed Ferguson luck was lacking with the Twite on this occasion.