Smew, Mergellus albellus

Local status: Scarce winter visitor

Virtually unknown prior to the 1980s, this beautiful species does not occur annually, but is being found with increasing frequency. Dry winters and fewer observers may have reduced the frequency with which this species was detected in the 1960s and 1970s. The Lower Derwent Valley claims the large majority of records with Castle Howard and the River Ouse also repeatedly visited. January is the peak arrival month. Some birds linger into early April, with the latest record being from Castle Howard in 2008 of one that lingered until the 11th. Birds are very mobile and it is likely that in some years, records may relate to the same wandering birds. Despite the national wintering population decreasing, there has been an increase locally since 2016.

Records:
2023: Ellerton, 30th December. two drake south
2023: East Cottingwith Ings, 24th December. redhead
2023: Thorganby Ings, 13th December into 2024. drake
2023: Low Grounds, 3rd November. redhead
2023: Wheldrake Ings, 1st March. two redhead & one to 9th, with three on 6th, four on 10th & three on 11th & 12th
2023: Wheldrake Ings, 2nd February. redhead, two on 3rd, one on 4th, two redhead on 19th, four on 20th & 24th to 26th & two on 27th & 28th.

Smew Wheldrake Ings 25th February 2023 © Duncan Bye
Smew Wheldrake Ings 25th February 2023 © Duncan Bye

2023: Wheldrake Ings, 2nd January. two redhead
2023: Pocklington Canal at Storwood, 1st January. redhead
2022: Wheldrake Ings, 31st December. redhead
2022: Bubwith, 27th December. pair
2022: Wheldrake Ings, 24th December. 1st-year redhead

Smew East Cottingwith/Wheldrake Ings 24th December 2022 © Adam Firth
Smew East Cottingwith/Wheldrake Ings 24th December 2022 © Adam Firth

2022: Wheldrake Ings. 9th to 13th March. two redheads
2022: Bank Island, 23rd February. drake & two redheads
2022: Wheldrake Ings, 6th February. redhead
2022: Wheldrake Ings, 1st February. immature male
2022: Wheldrake Ings, 7th & 18th January. redhead
2022: Aughton, 6th January. drake
2022: Sutton upon Derwent, 3rd January. redhead
2022: Hemingbrough BP, 3rd January. redhead
2021: Wheldrake Ings, 30th & 31st December. One pair

Smew Wheldrake Ings 31st December 2021 © Duncan Bye
Smew Wheldrake Ings 31st December 2021 © Duncan Bye

2021: Hemingborough Brick Pits, 29th December. redhead
2021: Wheldrake Ings & Ellerton Landing, 28th December. two redheads
2021: Wheldrake Ings, 26th December. Six redheads
2021: North Duffield Carrs, 13th & 19th December. redhead
2021: Heslington East on the 11th December. redhead
2021: Thorganby Ings, 21st to 26th February. A drake and three red-heads
2019: Bank Island, 16th to 27th October. redhead
2019: River Derwent at North Duffield, 31st January. male flew south
2019: Wheldrake Ings, 10th January. male
2019: Bank Island, 2nd January. one redhead over
2018: Castle Howard Lake, 4th February to 6th April, redhead
2017: Aughton Ings, 19th February. two ‘redheads’. At least one remaining until the 21st & reappearing on the 26th.
2017: Heslington East, 17th January. ‘redhead’
2016: Wheldrake Ings, 19th March to 5th May one redhead. 3rd April, two
2016: Ellerton Ings, 14th to 18th March, one redhead
2016: Wheldrake Ings, 27th February, one
2016: Aughton Ings, 27th February to 3rd March, two, three on 4th March & five on 6th
2016: Bank Island, 25th February, two flew over
2016: Bubwith Ings, 8th to 18th February. three to four, moving to Aughton Ings from 19th to 26th February
2016: Aughton Ings, 3rd February. two red-heads
2016: Thorganby Ings, 23rd January. female
2014: Lower Derwent Valley, 28th January to 6th April. Female.
2012: North Duffield Carrs, 29th January. One.
2008: Castle Howard, 22nd January to 11th April. Female.
2007: North Duffield Carrs, early March. Three (two males, one female).
2004: Elvington, 21st February. Female.
2004: Wheldrake Ings, 23rd January. Pair.
2003: Allerthorpe GP, 12th January. Three females. (possibly part of the Lower Derwent Valley flock)
2003: Lower Derwent Valley, January. 12 (four males, eight females).
2002: Aughton – Ellerton, 22nd December. Female.
2001: Bank Island, 16th March. Male.
2001: Bank Island, 6th to 9th February, then North Duffield Carrs, 18th February. Female.
2001: Bank Island, 21st January. Three (male and two females).
2000-01: Bishopthorpe, 31st December 2000 to 1st January 2001. Female.
2000: North Duffield Carrs, 31st December. Three.
2000: Bank Island, 23rd December. Male
2000: Bank Island, 2nd January. Pair.
1999: Lower Derwent Valley, 19th to 26th December. Three males.
1999: Wheldrake Ings, 26th February. Male.
1998: Castle Howard, 5th December. Three, with two on 13th.
1998: Castle Howard, 3rd and 10th January. Female.
1997: Wheldrake Ings, 6th December to 27th December. Up to eight.
1997: Castle Howard, 27th December. Female.
1997: Kexby – Newton Mask, 24th December. Female.
1997: Wheldrake Ings and Bank Island, January – February. Pair.
1996: Wheldrake Ings, 23rd to 24th December. Female.
1996: Wheldrake Ings, 18th March. Female.
1996: Castle Howard, 3rd February to 16th March. One.
1996: Thorganby, 6th January. Female.
1995: Lower Derwent Valley, 27th December. Female.
1995: Lower Derwent Valley, 20th January. Female.
1991: Lower Derwent Valley, 8th March. Female.
1987: Roscarrs, Selby, 20th January and 15th March. Female.
1987: Lower Derwent Valley, 20th January to 22nd March. Nine (five males and four females).
1987: Barlow village, 15th January. Male.
1986: River Ouse, Poppleton, 23rd February. Three (two males and one female).
1986: Lower Derwent Valley, 12th January. Female.
1985: Scrayingham, 5th February. One. May well have been one of the birds from the Lower Derwent Valley.
1985: Lower Derwent Valley, 20th to 28th January. Five.
1982: Wheldrake Ings, 5th December. Female.
1982: Lower Derwent Valley, 3rd January to late February. Three (two males and a female).
1981: Castle Howard, 8th December. Female.
1980: Bubwith – Aughton, 26th January. Male.
1979: Wheldrake Ings, 7th January. Seven.
1973: Castle Howard, 25th November. Female.