Had a couple of hours at Worthington yesterday (saturday) morning, the smew was in the channel that flows from the middle water ( Arley ?) to the nature reserve water, the first time i have seen it off the first reservoir.
As this bird as been either pinioned or wing clipped on both wings could or will the feathers grow back to enable this bird to fly again.
If the Smew's had both wings clipped or pinioned then that's probably the reason it's on Worthington Lakes! You should only ever clip or pinion one wing, this unbalances the bird so it can't fly. If you pinion both wings there's a good chance the bird will re-learn to fly, at least far enough to cause one or two birders heart palpitations!
A question regarding the Smew at Worthington Lakes ! As this bird as been either pinioned or wing clipped on both wings could or will the feathers grow back to enable this bird to fly again. Hoping so as it seems a shame to do this to a bird then release it on a lake to look after itself it instead of keeping it in the collection that it as come from. Possible reason for being put on the lake was that they bought a supposedly pair of Smew and they turned out to be 2 Redheads instead of a male and female they cost in the region of £250 a piece money to burn i say!. If anyone as any answers to this they would be greatly appreciated.
