Plunging temperatures have caused havoc for visitors to Minsmere. Our entrance road remains very slippy following the weekend's snow, while both the toilets and cafe had to be closed yesterday as the water supply froze. Fortunately we've been able to open them again today.
But it's not all bad news. As temperatures plummet across Europe, hundreds of ducks have been forced further west, and with them have come a small flock of smews. I've been mentioning smew since the first drake arrived on 6 January - about a month later than usual. The flock has slowly increased, and today peaked at an impressive two drakes and nine females - maybe even more. They favour the remaining open areas of East and South Scrapes, but also visit Island Mere or other reedbed pools when they are ice-free.
Smews are always great birds to see. Although a few visit Minsmere every winter, we’re really pleased to see so many this year. Male smews, often nicknamed white nuns, are gorgeous white ducks with intricate black and grey markings and a bandit-like black mask around the eye. The females are grey with a white face and chestnut crown, earning them the nickname of redheads. Although seen at Minsmere every winter, smews are rare enough to always be a bonus sighting. They can be tricky to locate though, as they spend most of their time underwater, catching fish in their serrated beaks.
Smews breed across Scandinavia and the Russian Arctic. They migrate south in winter when thousands gather in shallow waters around the coasts of Denmark and Holland. In most years only a few hundred arrive in the UK, but freezing weather in Europe can force greater numbers to head west. Very few have been seen in Suffolk this winter, apart from the Minsmere flock.
Male (right) and female smews coming in to land. Photo by Jon Evans
Today's smew count has increased to an incredible 29!