Have they got it wrong?

A white crested duck is a Smew

A Muddler head is made of deer

This means the second letter of deer will be "w".

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If it wasn't for pickpockets I wouldn't have a sex life.

Been pondering that myself K.
S.

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"A glint of sun has warmed the air,The flies will soon hatch out, To lure and tempt from their deep lair, The bonnie speckled trout." SKB tackle supporter. I love Furled Leaders.

I've just sat down this morning to attempt this month's crossword.
It was all plain sailing until I came across the same clue(s) as above.

Before reading this thread I had also only come up with SMEW as being the white crested duck. Perhaps they thought it was spelt SMUE

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Brian

oh dweery dweery me ,what a palava

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WHEN YOU LEAVE THE RIVER, TAKE NOTHING, AND LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINT'S!!!

THA CAN TELL A YORKSHIREMAN ,BUT THA CAN'T TELL HIM MUCH !!

Gentlemen,

I have to agree! The white crested duck is a Smew, and the second letter is "m" which leaves few options as the only other duck that I'm aware of with four letters is Teal.

As "deer" is almost certainly the answer for the muddler material methinks T&S might have got this wrong - how is a mystery as presumably there is a completed grid somewhere - we'll have to wait to see when all is revealed.

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“There is no more lovely country than Monmouthshire in early spring. Nowhere do the larks sing quite so passionately, as if somehow inspired by the Welsh themselves. There is a blackbird on every thorn and a cock chaffinch, a twink as they call him there, on every bush...... It moved me profoundly. I had been spared to see another spring, and I thank God for it.”

Oliver Kite
“A Spring Day on the Usk”
A Fisherman’s Diary

The answer, my friends, is "Smee" - a european merganser also known as a White Merganser (Mergus albellus). It has a white crest.

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strikealight


Dynamite fishing is always effective.

A Smee is a Smew, it is just an alternative name for the same duck.

Well done that man.
S.

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"A glint of sun has warmed the air,The flies will soon hatch out, To lure and tempt from their deep lair, The bonnie speckled trout." SKB tackle supporter. I love Furled Leaders.

Confirmed by T&S

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Brian

22 down anyone.? Only one I can't fathom, unless I have something else wrong, but I don't think so.

S.

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"A glint of sun has warmed the air,The flies will soon hatch out, To lure and tempt from their deep lair, The bonnie speckled trout." SKB tackle supporter. I love Furled Leaders.