Whooper Swan at Amwell

I've managed to get out and about a bit recently. Health is still a big issue and its been getting gradually worse all year, and I find it a bit of a struggle particularly in the mornings to get mobile-legs in particular are rather stiff and weak. I get very tired very quickly as well at the moment.
Anyway earlier in the week a Whooper Swan dropped in at Rye Meads and lingered-this is unusual as most wild swan sightings in the valley are fly throughs. It stuck around the next morning and then flew off to Amwell where it has been ever since. I've seen a family of Bewicks at Wilstone a few years back, but Whooper was still missing on my Herts list.
Normally I take Mum shopping on Saturdays, but today I dropper her off and carried on to Amwell, arriving just as Mike and Bill were leaving. Getting to the view point I found that no-one else was there-rather unusual but gradually more arrived. The Whooper seems to be associating with Mute Swans, of which the count of 21 was much larger than usual. In front of there hide it gradually drifted towards me and spent some time at fairly close range before swimming round to the back of the heronry island. We got worried as it departed with three Mutes, circled Hollycross and luckily then returned.

Water levels are very high at the moment, with only a few small bits of island and edges. Good for ducks and gulls but not so good for waders, and only one Snipe was on view.
After a while, I wandered down the track, finding a small flock of tits and Goldcrests, one of which posed nicely.

Down at the Bittern pool I found Phil, William and Alan, but no Bittern. We had at least one Parakeet, and distant views of three Redpoll and a Siskin. I carried on down to Hollycross but didn't find much so returned to the view point. The Swan was still around and, rather unusually Simon Knott appeared to twitch it.
All in all rather productive morning with 56 species in total-and I missed things like Redwing Treecreeper and Buzzard.