The Lincolnshire Bird Club

the drake Smew was back at Barton yesterday, on the east side pits, continuing its residence first noted in the 2006 - 2007 winter but its record was seriously eclipsed by the wintering Greenshank that is back at the mouth of the Ancholme at South Ferriby where it was first noted in the winter of 1999 - 2000 making it at least 14 years old
Previous first dates for the Smew are Dec 4th 2009, November 12th 2010 and November 11th 2012 so this years arrival is within the expected time frame

a second winter Glaucous Gull flew west at Alkborough on the 16th -- male and female Hen Harriers pass through daily but the 19th produced a splendid sight when two Marsh Harriers were watched apparently disputing a prey item in a grass field; scoping these birds revealed that there were in fact 5 harriers sitting in the grass around something; additional birds arrived until there were nine at which point a Fox came out of the grass and walked across the mudflats at which point a total of 11 Marsh Harriers got up and mobbed the fox until it disappeared into the reedbed;