Scaup but no Smew

At the weekend, Mark Dawson had a redhead Smew at Girton on the A1133 Pit. I had a look there today (mainly to do my WeBS count a few days late), butt couldn't find it; however, there is plenty of marginal willow for a Smew to hide in, so there's a fair to middling chance it's still there. I had more luck at Spalford Pit, where I found a 1st W female Scaup.

After Girton, I could only fit in a brief visit in to Collingham, checking Ferry Lane Lake without seeing anything of note. I'd had a trawl round the patch last Sunday (after a gap of two weeks), but again couldn't find much to write home about (although Cetti's Warbler and Water Rail were both being vocal). With second-hand rumours of a 'large brown owl' hunting along the floodbank (presumably a Short-eared Owl) and Waxwings (with Fieldfares) a couple of days before, seen by a dog-walker (via Mark Dawson) I'd been hoping for more...