Ken does a round-up of Naturebites’ short-walks in January… a fantastic reminder (to me) of what we are able to show off in such a small space of time! “Parking on the roadside opposite The Oystercatcher resturant in the outskirts of Rhosneigr we were greeted by the sight of a majestic Peregrine patrolling over the […]
A Magical Day on Anglesey.
A guest blog from Ken Croft (the other, more beardy, half of Naturebites!)… What a day I had on Monday!? I drove over to Malltraeth early in the morning, it was calm and sunny but very cold early on. I parked up at the bridge in Malltraeth, lots of Wigeon were in the channel below […]
My fairytale: a late rebuttal.
It’s around a month ago now that leader of the Scottish Gamekeepers Association, Alex Hogg, lambasted the British public for subscribing to the fairytale image of British wildlife portrayed on natural history programmes. My heart-felt apologies go out to him! British wildlife is a magical fairytale full of wonder and what a pity that he […]
Anglesey Marine Week 2013
Hello all, This is just a note to say that I hope you’ll be able to join us soon for Anglesey Marine Week 2013! It’s August 3rd-9th and this year we’ve got even more great events to choose from. Many of the events are free and the rest are at reduced cost and/or for charity […]
Conversations with birds.
I walked out this lunchtime with no intention of wildlife-watching, without my binoculars harnessed to my chest I set out to find a place to picnic. I had an idea in mind after visiting the Ceredigion museum in Aberystwyth yesterday. I would climb Pen Dinas hill; site of a 9000 year old settlement, with remains […]
Why I do what I do.
Having now gone head-first into nature guiding, there’s a bit of me that cringes when I tell people what I do. As a youngster, I imagined that by now I’d live in Africa protecting lions, as a teenager I thought I’d be a researcher into marine biology and until very recently I thought I’d work […]
Free Gift!
As we drove home from a sunny Valley lakes early last evening, my eyes were greeted with the sight of a mini-murmuration above the housing estate on which we live. Now, I know I bang on about starlings a lot… I love them, it’s true! I often wonder how someone could not adore them when […]
Anglesey Birds – Ken’s Review January 2013
I have asked Ken Croft, my friend and now guiding colleague, to write up his birding year so far. “My year started off in Birmingham, seeing the New Year in with my brother and his family. An early morning move saw me in Shrewsbury where I joined Pat and Enid for a New Year’s Day […]
Playing Hard to Get.
“Why have you put red-throated diver on there?” I asked Ken when he showed me through the species we should expect to see in our patch. We’d volunteered to take part in a birding initiative just for January; the Foot It challenge, bird watching on foot from your home. Ken had devised our species list […]
Making the most of my inheritance!
I’m not about to tell you about a tragic event which resulted in me coming into money, I’m merely referring to what my Dad calls “my inheritance”… his camera! A relatively new birder, my Dad has been well and truly bitten (bittern?!) by the bug. He soon branched out into wildlife photography and his camera […]
About The Author
From my new home on the wonderful isle of Anglesey I have been lucky enough to be immersed in Welsh wildlife. Since moving here I have met so many wonderful people who also have a passion for British wildlife and thought this would be the ideal way to share my enjoyment of the natural wonders of the island and further afield with anybody who cares to listen! Just so you know… I was born with a passion for wildlife and the outdoors (thanks Mum and Dad) and went on to study Medical Microbiology and Zoology at Leeds University. It was in 2010 whilst volunteering for the Wildlife Trust on the Isles of Scilly that birds showed on my radar too. The wonderful Paul Long saw me hurriedly making my way across the harbour on St Mary’s and assumed I was heading for the Red-throated Diver, I followed him and hence I’d been on my first ‘twitch’! It didn’t seem right to tell him that actually I was just desperate for the loo. Since meeting them on Scilly, my passion for birds and wildlife had been nurtured by the encyclopedic Neil Glenn and the inspiring Dr Rob Lambert (both residing in Nottingham, my birth place). I can thank the RSPB for my first paid work in conservation. I am particularly thankful that that work was here, on an island I have grown up visiting (I have spent many hours on the rocks and straits while my Dad was chasing Conger-bongers or the elusive Bass!). Moving here in spring 2010 only made me fall deeper in love with Anglesey; where the sky meets the mountains, meets the sea. One of the little-known gems of Anglesey is Mr Ken Croft. Ken is a birding legend, spotting many rarities and first birds for Britain. I can thank Ken for all I know about birds. If you are lucky enough to bump into the ‘Welsh Wizard’ then you’ll be engulfed in his enthusiasm and expertise. Through Naturebites, Kathy and Ken offer guided wildlife tours on Anglesey. Please see the 'Wildlife Tours' page on our website for more details of how to join in.