Nature with Nev

                                                                     Herring Gulls crossing a setting Sun I managed another dusk visit to Goldcliff and with clear skies and a strong low Sun I knew I would be in for some interesting photos. I made my way straight to the seawall, and the intention was twofold - to watch the Sun set and to look for the Glossy Ibis coming in to roost. Avocet were in higher numbers, with 8 on the lagoon and a further 81 out feeding on the mudflats. Their shapes were silhouetted in the strong light of the Sun, but the distinctive feeding actions enabled them to stand out from the nearby Black-headed Gulls. A pair of Mallards passing by the reeds looked amazing as the bottle-green heads of the males stood out with the reflection of the light. Lapwing taking flight . Suddenly a la...

 Shelduck having a right old ding-dong. Goldcliff as usual graced itself with my presence at dawn, where a lovely sunrise added to a really good mix of birds. I made my way quickly to the 'Lapwing screen ' as I was hoping the Glossy Ibis was still around. Arriving there I enjoyed looking through the 194 Black Tailed Godwits that were on the lagoon but there was nothing amongst them - except a smaller wader tucked away in the middle of them. It stayed there with its head huddled into its back, happily kipping away and only giving a tantalising glimpse to what it could be. After a while it popped its head up and I could now see it was a Knot. Soon all their heads looked skywards and they suddenly took flight with a loud whooshing noise coming from their wings. They made their way quickly over the seawall and out of sight and then the reason for this sudden commotion became apparent - the resident male Peregrine had turned up to promptly sit on the island.  The Ibis in fli...

Friday 22nd saw a change of scenery, covering the Tal-y-Bont on Usk area. Perfect weather made for a perfect day, with an array of interesting flora and fauna. I was joined by my friend Kerry who is a ranger with the council, and after a coffee at the village shop/post office we were on our way. From the canal to the main path we watched Rooks gathering at their 'rookery', and Mallards, Woodpigeons, Jackdaws, House Sparrows, Siskins, Chaffinches, Wrens, Song Thrushes and Robins - most of which were busy singing away. Alder catkins .  Joining the Henry Vaughn walk (named after the Welsh metaphysical poet), we enjoyed a walk between the two hedgerows where along the banks, the first spring plants were appearing including Dog's Mercury, Lesser Celandines and Ramsons (Wild Garlic). More birds were singing their hearts out including Great Tits, Coal Tits, Nuthatches and Blackbirds, and a single Buzzard circled high overhead. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming away ten t...

The weekend sure comes round quick, and with reasonable weather, a trip down to my special place (Goldcliff) was on the cards. I was hoping the recently sighted Cranes were still about but not today sadly. What did greet me though around 0715 was the Glossy Ibis which was perched on the edge of the reeds preening for some time. Prior to this, a number of birds were seen including Crows, Herring Gulls, Jackdaws, a Buzzard, Robin, Blackbirds, Blue Tits, Moorhen, Wren, Canada Geese and the five White-fronted Geese which left as I was arriving, calling as they passed overhead. Black Tailed Godwits From the platofrm where I was watching the Ibis still preening away, I scanned through the above 153 Black Tailed Godwits. I had the telescope trained on the Ibis, and with a cup of tea in one hand and some biccies in the other, I peered through the scope to enjoy this magnificent bird. No other waders were mixed in with the Godwits and none of these birds were ringed. Wigeon, Teal, Shovele...

I have to confess, my Moth identification is not the best, but whenever I see one I just have to take a photo, and for the ones I struggle to ID (which is basically most of the brown or grey ones), then I am lucky that I have a friend on hand to bail me out. This small Moth is a mere 16-20mm, and there is only one generation found between February and April.  Although this individual was alone, males can be attracted to lights in large numbers. They are a common resident and can be found around deciduous trees - of which there are many in the location I found this little fella in.  Picture: Neville Davies

Back in September 2017, I spent three days with a friend of mine who is a guide for Spanish nature, and we covered some of the province of Malaga. I thought I would share the adventure with you particularly as this week this article featured in the Andalusia Bird Society members magazine.  Enjoy!   Typical beautiful Spanish view. The 1st -3rd September saw a change of scenery for me with a visit to Malaga covering the   Serrana de Ronda area. I was guided by Peter Jones, the ABS President (who has guided me here before). The weather was in my favour averaging around 30°.   With 122 species of bird seen and 14 species of new fauna for my list it turned out to be an excellent trip. I was picked up by my guide Peter who previously told me that entry into the vehicle would not be permitted unless I brought some traditional Welsh cakes with me, and without further ado we started birding straight away visiting a nearby wetland area just outside of the airport. The usu...

From the sea wall. So, it is Saturday morning again, and the remnants of Storm Erik are passing through. It was cold and very windy and what a great opportunity to stay tucked up in a warm bed - no, not if you are an avid bird watcher.  It was off to Goldcliff for me come rain or shine, or anything else in between.  Actually, upon arrival at around 0700 it was fairly clear cloud wise, but that wind was biting, and strong. I knew I wasn't going to be the only brave (or daft) soul there, as I had sent a text to Blair Jones who confirmed he would be present. There was no stopping at the platforms en-route to the sea wall as the wind was too strong, so with my hood up I made my way straight headlong into the wind, and I could feel myself working hard against the head wind. I wasn't surprised to see Blair not on the seawall - either that or he was now out swimming in the Bristol Channel. In fact, I wasn't going to go onto the sea wall either as the waves were lapping against...

Common Snipe.                                                                                    Picture: Neville Davies I have sent my wildlife article to the Majorca Daily Bulletin for their Saturday newspaper. If you would like to see the full article on birds and temperatures and featuring the Common Snipe as 'bird of the week', then please email me at:  wildmajorca@gmail.com  

The weather forecast was cold but with bright skies, so that made my mind up on Friday evening - Goldcliff at dawn the following morning. I arrived around 0715hrs and walked to the seawall where my friend Blair Jones was already settled with his camera at the ready. Walking from the car park to the seawall I noted along the way several Redwings, a Buzzard calling, Crows, Magpies, Meadow Pipits, Herring Gulls and a Robin. We enjoyed a catch up, talking about my previous weekend at Norfolk, and slowly watching the Sun come up and casting a new form of light over the mudflats. As the light got stronger, there started to appear shapes along the water's edge, and a good number of Wigeon could be seen along with Oystercatchers, Curlew, Black Headed Gulls and a Lesser Black-backed Gull.  As we talked the light got stronger and soon the Sun appeared from behind Hill Farm and hence the photos started. The calls of geese echoed out over the lagoons behind us as the Sun lifted - and so di...