Amwell Saturday

Had to pop in and see Sarah and Ed, so naturally I then went to Amwell.
Arrived around 1000, ie a lot later than normal. Ran into Jay Ward chatting to Ron Cousins. Ron had spent a couple of hours searching for the Tumbling Bay Lesser Spot with no success-not surprising considering the strength of the wind. I went up to the watchpoint with Jay to join Phil. Barry's in Brazil again with Jan, and Bill was twitching an imported moth in Dorset.
Not a great deal happening, with most birds keeping their heads down. Usual assortment of gulls and wildfowl but nothing out of the ordinary.
Joined by a Stevenage birder, I headed up to Tumbling Bay with Jay more for a bit of exercise than anything else. Encountered a few Siskin and five or six Redpoll on the way up. A couple of others were already near the lock, scanning the trees but with nothing to show apart from a few tits and corvids. Headed up a bit further for the Scaup fix, and then walked down to the trees where we saw the Smew pair quite close in. No camera of course.
Back at the watchpoint it was more of the same so I left, bumping into Ron again at the level crossing where we saw at least 70 Siskin in the alders-by far the biggest flock I have seen in the valley for many years.