THE BIRDS OF SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE
THE BIRDS OF SOUTH
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
SMEW – Mergellus albellus
As with all reports of rare and scarce birds they are subject to ratification by the respective rarities committees
Smew is the smallest of the mergansers, and it is likely that the name stems from an old variant of the word small. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries writers sometimes used smew or smee adjectively in a compound name such as Smew Merganser. Some historical names for Smew include; Smee Duck, White Nun, Magpie Diver, Weasel Duck and Small Herring Bar.
There have been ten Smew reported from S. Gloucestershire, they are;
1855: (2)
A male was ‘obtained' on February 12th at Dyrham Park. This occurrence constitutes the first record of this species for S. Gloucestershire; A male was 'obtained at or near Oldbury-on-Severn sometime in c.1855 though no date is available.
1991: (5)
Five, all males were seen on February 13th off New Passage with four lingering into February 14th.
2003: (2)
A female was found on January 11th off New Passage; A male was reported on February 8th off New Passage.
Smew off New Passage. January 2003. © Paul Bowerman.
2006: (1)
On January 29th a female was watched off Aust Warth late morning, it quickly floated off down river later to be seen off New Passage.