Smew

Chard reservoir, Somerset 
I have a few hours to spare this afternoon so it seemed rude not to make the short journey to see the female Smew. It was hanging around with the Tufted Ducks but always stayed too distant for a photo. Still, decent scope views were obtained and a nice to see bird.

New Home, New House List

Butts Road, Ottery St Mary, Devon 
So we moved to Ottery a week ago and with Christmas, the only birding I've done is from the garden. So I have concentrated on my new house list. 33 species so far
Mallard
Common Buzzard
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Black-headed Gull
European Herring Gull
Common Wood Pigeon
Tawny Owl
Great Spotted Woodpecker
European Green Woodpecker
Eurasian Magpie
Western Jackdaw
Rook
Carrion Crow
Northern Raven
Coal Tit
Eurasian Blue Tit
Great Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Goldcrest
Eurasian Wren
Eurasian Nuthatch
Common Starling
European Robin
Common Blackbird
Fieldfare
Redwing
Song Thrush
House Sparrow
Dunnock
Pied Wagtail
Common Chaffinch
European Greenfinch
European Goldfinch

Merlin

Darts Farm, Topsham, Devon - 2nd December
A quick visit after work at sunset. I looked around the ponds and hide area. First bird I saw was a Common Kingfisher. My first one at this site for quite some time. From the hide were decent numbers of Brant Goose but the best bird was a Merlin hunting the pond area briefly.