Nature with Nev

Myself and my friend and fellow birder Mike Cram had planned a long weekend to Norfolk for some winter birding and a change of scenery. Overall we were lucky with the weather and managed a good total of 108 species in the end. Not bad for two and a half days birding.  Leaving at 4am, Mike and I headed off through drizzle up to Norfolk where the plan was to spend the first day around the Broads. Arriving around 9am to better weather, we stopped off briefly at Burnthouse Lane where we only saw Pheasants, Rooks, House Sparrows, Mistle Thrush, Robin, Mute Swans, lapwings and 8 Common Gulls, so we saved time and moved on stopping at Ormesby Little Broad. A redhead Smew had been reported there but it was not to be seen today. In the car park was a gent with a Wales scarf on, and it transpired that he was originally from Blackwood – a village close to me. What a small world and a theme that was to repeat itself throughout the stay. Here we enjoyed watching Chaffinches, Blackbirds, Gre...

The Point is the little area close to the ' seawall tea rooms ' at Goldcliff, and this morning the area held the largest number of Turnstones I have recorded along this stretch of the Gwent Levels - 42 all feeding together. What a lovely surprise that was. Prior to this my friend Kerry and I had stopped off at the tea rooms for a coffee before heading up onto the seawall. Close by a Little Egret was feeding next to a Grey Heron which was taking a nap. Kerry using my scope to watch Turnstones . Prior to this we had been bird watching since early morning at Goldcliff. In the first hide we got talking to a local who had his young boy with him. It is always good to see the youngsters being encouraged and supported.  We were chatting about the birds of the lagoons and other topics when a beautiful male Sparrowhawk flew onto a fence post allowing us close views for several minutes. Male Sparrowhawk. Copyright N Davies. After saying our goodbyes, Kerry and I headed off ...

A dawn visit to Goldcliff with my friend Blair ended with a nice cuppa and me being shown how to get to the other side of Hill Farm.  Quarter past seven in the morning was cold, and we made our way slowly to the seawall. En-route we heard the calls of White-fronted Geese and overhead the five that had been seen sporadically in the area passed over us and out past the Point. That was a good start to the day. The water level was high on the lagoons and there wasn't a great deal about. Picture: N Davies The high tide had brought some water birds onto the lagoons, and apart from a single Dunlin we counted 60 Shoveler, 210 Shelduck (some of which are pictured), the male Peregrine on its usual rock perch on the first island and a nice fly-by from the female Marsh Harrier. Ten Grey Plovers and 72 Curlew were out on the mudflats and tried as we may we couldn't find the Black Redstart along the fence line of the seawall. We enjoyed views out over the sea where several small...

This Saturday's weekly article has been sent to the Majorca Daily Bulletin covering the amazing Albufereta Marsh and featuring the Shelduck as bird of the week. For a full write up of the article, please email me at wildmajorca@gmail.com   Coot, Greater Flamingo's and Shoveler. Just some of the vast array of birds to be found in the marshes. Picture: Copyright Neville Davies.

Male Stonechat     Well yesterday I decided to have an afternoon visit at Goldcliff to take in dusk for a change. There was a nice selection of birds to be seen and up to the first hide I saw Crows, Jackdaws, Mallards, Moorhens, Bullfinches, Blackbirds, Wren and Woodpigeons. At the first hide I settled in and poured myself a cup of tea, and noticed there were a large number of Canada Geese on the far bank. They were on edge as a pair of Foxes were patrolling the outside of the perimeter fence, and although they can't access the lagoons they were still causing a stir. I scanned through the flock to see if the Barnacle Geese were still with them and surely enough there they were, smaller, but nonetheless noticeable. A pair of Stonechats made their way through the Soft Sedge growing in front of the hide, and the male in particular (above) had a striking orange-red front, he really stood out.I watched them make their way past before they returned back along the sam...

I have just submitted this Saturday's newspaper article covering the humble House Sparrow on Majorca, and also looking at the Tree Sparrow, Rock Sparrow, Italian Sparrow and Spanish Sparrow, and featuring the resident Stonechat as 'bird of the week'. Picture: Copyright Neville Davies For the full article via email, please contact me at wildmajorca@gmail.com