Jonathan hails originally from Northumberland where he started birdwatching at a very young age, around seven years old, being tutored in this field by his father, also a keen birdwatcher. He told us how he clearly remembers seeing a Ptarmigan for the first time at the age of nine. He then honed his craft by birdwatching with his dad throughout the north east and all around his native Northumberland, a vast county with spectacular scenery and wildlife, a location to put on your birding ‘wish list’ if you’ve never been before.
Jonathan described the many hot spots in the north east of England which are great for bird watching and he began by listing them from north to south, starting with Lindisfarne Island in Northumberland
and working his way through Durham and North Yorkshire down to Spurn Point in East Yorkshire. This vast area of the east coast contains a diverse range of habitats including: wide sandy beaches and
bays, marram grass dunes, heathland, fresh water and brackish pools, rugged rocky coast and islands, vast moorland, woodlands and several large estuaries.
This area is, we found out, an all year round fantastic place to see resident bird species with the potential for an amazing number of rarities both inland and on the coast. In a typical birding year Jonathan would be looking for winter geese, from Pale-bellied Brent
geese to the rarer Red-breasted goose. Also Barnacle geese, Cackling and Todd’s Canada geese from North America can be spotted regularly. It’s also a good place to look for birds off-shore where you’ll find Eiders, Velvet Scoters and magnificent Long-tailed duck.
It’s also a great place to see Spring migrants who arrive in good numbers and Jonathan tells us that he’s seen large flocks of Twite (100 to 200 birds) plus Wheatears, different Hirundine, Wood warblers,
Redstarts, and rarities like Citrine wagtail. In summer Pacific swifts can be seen and there are, of course, the amazing seabird colonies all along the coast, especially on the Farne Islands and at RSPB
Bempton Cliffs. Off Cullernose Point in Northumberland Sooty and Bridled Terns have been recorded and in August and September, the best time to go sea-watching, Long-tailed Skuas and Manx, Cory’s
and Great Shearwaters are a potential twitch.
October is a great time for checking scrubby areas and sand dunes for migrants such as Yellow-browed warblers and when a strong northerly wind blows Little Auks can be seen close to shore, he’s even spotted one in a beach rock pool! In December you’ll see a range of Divers, Sea Ducks and Grebes making this area such a great place to go birding where you’ll be guaranteed a ‘Tick, Lifer or Mega’ in every season. Jonathan has found many fabulous birds during his time in Northumberland and on subsequent visits and tours and Oriole Birding offer a good range of guided birding tours to this part of England.
One of Jonathan’s favourite places for birding is Lindisfarne Island, also known as Holy Island, a ‘tidal island’ as twice a day the incoming tide flows around the island covering the causeway connecting it to the mainland. Visitors have to be mindful of the tide, although there are emergency platforms on the causeway if people are cut off by the incoming tide. Lindisfarne contains several good spots for birds including the village (over 100 people live on the Island) which contains gardens, hedges and paths - ideal for finding migrants such as Redstart, Thrushes, Spotted Flycatcher and Goldcrest. Great-grey shrikes and Bluethroats have been recorded regularly here, plus Asian desert warbler and Broad-billed sandpiper too, in fact he says that basically anything can turn up. Jonathan recalls one of his best-ever birding days here (24th Aug 2015) when an easterly wind prevailed and good numbers of birds including Wood warbler, Willow warbler, Icterine warbler, Wryneck, Pied flycatcher, Red-backed Shrike, and a Greenish warbler were all spotted. Moving further south along the coast past Bamburgh Castle and to the Farne Islands you’ll be able to
spot Slavonian grebe, Grey Phalarope and a first for Northumberland here was a Black Scoter as well as a regularly returning Bonaparte’s Gull, both of which are American species. There are seabird colonies on The Farne Islands, Coquet Island and Long Nanny, which include Gulls, Puffins and Arctic and Roseate terns and a female American black tern, return each year too. There is also marine wildlife to spot as there are many Seals, Bottle-nosed dolphins and Orca have been spotted off the coast.
Druridge Bay, a wide sweeping expanse of sand and dunes (pictured below) is another good place for birding where Jonathan has seen Pacific golden plover and Terek sandpiper. At East Chevington, fresh
water lakes, there are many species of duck and grebes present, plus Bittern, Marsh harrier, Cetti’s warbler (first seen in 2012 up there) and in 2016/2017 a Pacific diver was showing well. Cresswell pond, a Northumberland Wildlife Trust reserve off Druridge Bay, is a large brackish lagoon that attracts a lot of waders including Little stint and Wood sandpiper, plus Glossy Ibis, Whooper swan, and, in lockdown, Jonathan saw a Bufflehead - a species of sea duck that breeds in Canada and Alaska - so that would have been a ‘mega’ for some people lucky enough to see it. Further inland in County Durham, there are also large grouse moors, prime habitat for Red and Black grouse, and Ring Ouzels are frequently seen here. Other habitat includes woodland which once held good numbers of Redstarts, Pied flycatchers and Wood warblers - but he advises that numbers are now falling and he thinks that within five to ten years he’ll be lucky to spot a Wood warbler in the North East.
Jonathan finished the second half of the evening by working down along the coast to Bempton and Flamborough - known for seabird colonies including Kittiwakes, Gannets, Razorbills and Guillemots.
In 2021 a Black-browed albatross could be seen soaring past the cliffs here. On one Oriole birding tour they were lucky enough (Ashley that is) to find a White-throated needletail - an Asian swift and a very rare bird to the UK. Luckily for us Jonathan had great images of all these rare birds as he is also very good at bird photography. His talk was marvelously illustrated for those of us who have never seen these rarer species.
Continuing south along the coast to the famous bird hotspot of Spurn Point in east Yorkshire he told us about the great potential of this site for seeing migrating birds. Spurn is a good place for ‘Vis-Mig’ - visible migration as you can sit for many hours here just watching thousands of birds migrate above you. Some great birds that he’s spotted in this area and in Kilnsea wetlands on the Spurn Heritage Coast include, Red-breasted flycatcher, Yellow-legged Gull, Curlew sandpiper, White-rumped sandpiper, Kentish plover, and in the sycamore scrub Pallas’s warbler and Olive-backed pipit, and several Dusky warblers have been recorded there.
This was an excellent talk by Jonathan and a great start to the WVBS indoor meetings for 2026.
Jonathan is a very knowledgeable speaker and birder who has a fantastic understanding of his native county and the birds and other wildlife found there. I’m sure his talk has whetted the appetites of many of the WVBS members and guests to make a beeline for this glorious part of the UK. Oriole Birding run several tours each year to this area and the dates below may come in handy if anyone is looking to go birding here in the future. 
Many thanks to Jonathan for such an interesting talk about a beautiful part of the UK.

The talk focused on three main zones, the Tagus Estuary area south of the capital Lisbon, the central plains bordering Spain known as the Alentejo and finally the Algarve region in the far south, perhaps best known for tourism rather than bird watching. 
Matt started the first half of his talk by looking at the estuary of the Tagus River and telling us why this part of Portugal is so good for birding. This area is on the west coast of Europe and therefore a natural migration route on the East Atlantic Flyway (WVBS September talk). It has milder winters and a less intense climate than central Iberia, where it’s much hotter and dryer. There are several major river deltas and estuaries that flow into the Atlantic Ocean. The image above shows the Tagus estuary which is around 34,000 ha, the largest in Western Europe, and contains rich and varied habitats for birds. There’s a national nature reserve, extensive mudflats, paddy fields and plenty of scrub and unimproved areas - which Portugal has lots of according to Matt. Portugal does not have such a manicured or over-developed countryside, so consequently there is an abundance of scrubby habitat, particularly suited to warblers and shrikes which are found in good numbers. Matt showed us many stunning images including vast flocks of Black-tailed godwits, up to 60,000 or so, and it’s an excellent place for other waders including Kentish plover, Greenshank, Greater flamingo, Glossy ibis (up to 200 at a time), Black-winged stilt, one of the commonest birds here, plus Grey plover, Wood, Common, and Curlew sandpipers. Avocet also breed here, Little stint, Ruff, Dunlin, and Sanderling can be seen.
Along with the waders there are several raptors, in particular the Peregrine falcon which is regularly spotted ‘putting up’ the wader flocks. Ospreys, especially juveniles, are found here as they don’t seem to move south to Africa until they are adults. There are also Black kites, more common than the Red kite, and the dainty almost ‘kestrel-like’ Black-winged kite is easy to see as it’ll perch on telegraph poles and tends to hover, a bit like a kestrel.
A more curious species found here is the Purple gallinule or Western swamphen which is widespread and can even be seen around the weedy, wet zones near Faro airport. Black redstarts are a common bird, favouring ruined buildings and churches, and the Spotless starling is frequently seen in good numbers, especially on the impressive Vasco da Gama bridge that crosses the Tagus estuary. Other birds include Red-crested pochard, (an FLD or funny looking duck) Short-toed treecreeper, Spoonbill, Water pipit, Quail, which sing all year, and Little owl due to a liking of the derelict buildings in this area. 
An unusual bird from Africa, the Common waxbill, is now becoming more numerous and can be found in gardens, plus the Yellow-crowned bishop, another African species, prefers the paddy fields. After the refreshment break, Matt took us to the vast Alentejo, an area that has a wide range of habitats including grassy undulating plains, small agricultural fields, grazing sheep and the dehesas. These are open plains containing scattered Cork oak trees, which are a fantastic and ecologically-sound system of non-intensive farming. Cork oak trees are truly sustainable as the cork bark is only peeled from trees every nine or so years and the trees are not felled as with timber production. Matt advocates buying wine bottles with corks to ensure this sustainable cork oak forestry system continues as it supports a wide variety of birdlife here and is of significant importance. So, we should all try to buy more eco-friendly cork-based products to keep this traditional system going. A dehesa above, with scattered Cork oaks, grassy wildflower meadows and grazing animals. The Iberico pig feeds on the acorns here and it’s a relatively sparsely populated area, so less development and disruption. In this wonderful open habitat Matt showed images of birds typically found there; Corn Bunting, Crested lark, Calandra lark, Wood lark, Thekla lark, Dartford warbler, Sardinian warbler, some
of which were trickier for us to identify! Larger species found here include the magnificent Great bustard where up to 30 birds can be seen at a time, and the Little bustard, which Matt said is struggling and declining in Portugal. Stone curlews hunker down in the grasslands, Iberian grey shrikes are common, and the more striking Woodchat shrike can also be found in this region. Iberian Green Woodpeckers and Wrynecks search the numerous anthills of the plains for food, whilst the Great- spotted cuckoo will parasitise the nests of Magpies.
Mertola, a small town with less than 8,000 inhabitants overlooking the gorge of Guadiana, is often used as a base for birders and has a wide variety of birdlife found within its Roman ruins and Moorish architecture. Blue rock thrush, Bluethroat, Golden orioles and huge colonies of large Crag martins, Red-rumped swallows, and also White-rumped swifts can be found here.
Black-eared wheatears, Hoopoes and Crested tits are found here in good numbers, there are many old stone quarries in this region and they are great places for birds. Even the massive European Eagle owl will make these old workings their home. Matt advised that with common sense it’s possible to still go into working quarries if permitted, where a wide range of species live. Other birds of prey include Lesser kestrel which can be found in large colonies, unlike here in the UK where we normally only see them in pairs at the most.
Larger raptors of the region include Golden eagle which can be seen hunting across the plains, the Iberian Imperial eagle and Bonelli’s eagle, expertly identified by one of the group, plus the White stork is now resident all year round as they seem to prefer to stay put as opposed to migrating to Africa. The final area that Matt looked at was the more familiar Algarve - a favourite amongst Brits for their holidays - but this region also has lots of geographical features that attract birds as well as tourists. The Algarve is the most southerly part of Portugal and borders Spain and along this coastline are several zones including vast saltpans, where salt is still produced in the traditional manner (check out Channel 5’s series ‘Portugal with Michael Portillo’, he’s not everyone’s cup of tea but you see the fantastic landscape of the Algarve and not just the touristy places).
There are also islands and wide shallow lagoons, traditional fishing villages, dense scrubby areas and mudflats which are all great for waders and seabirds. Matt showed several gull photos, again gulls are not to everyone’s taste, but there are many species that won’t pinch your chips, like here in parts of the UK. For example, you can spot Yellow-legged gull, a European version of our Herring gull, Mediterranean gull, Audouin’s gull and the small, but long-necked Slender-billed gull which has a pinkish tinge to its breast feathers. Sandwich terns frequent this area and some of the ringing recoveries show that the birds come from northern Europe, including The Netherlands and Germany - so they like to holiday in the Algarve too by the looks of it! This is also a good area to spot the Mediterranean Short-toed lark, Little bitterns can be regularly seen on the numerous golf courses dotted along the coastline, plus Penduline tits can even be seen in more developed parts including around hotels and the smart Ferruginous duck is also doing well in Portugal. Overall, it was a fantastic talk by Matt about this great birding area which, as he said, seems to have been overshadowed by its larger neighbour Spain and has the lion’s share of specialty birding tours. So hopefully his informative talk will inspire some more members to experience this interesting country and make their own birding trip there. It’s relatively easy to get there (flights are available from Norwich airport at certain times of the year) and is in the same time zone as the UK. It’s an easy place to bird with not much traffic, especially in the open plains of the Alentejo and he says the people there are welcoming and friendly - so what’s not to like about this stunning country.
​Matt showed some spectacular photos of the landscape and birds found in this part of Portugal and if you want to see more images of them, I recommend you take a look at this book (Europe's Birds) as it’s
fabulously illustrated with loads of photographs so you can see all the birds that Matt was describing in more detail. Plus check out ‘Michael Portillo’s Portugal’ on Channel 5 catch-up too as they say ‘a picture paints a thousand words’ and this brief report cannot do justice to Matt’s brilliant talk or the birds and landscape of this stunning country. Matt also brought along copies of the current and past editions of Bird Watching magazine which was much appreciated by everyone.
This book (Europe's Birds) describes and illustrates over 900 species of birds seen in Europe many of which can be seen in Portugal. There are also several other bird books by Gonçalo Elias if you want more specific species information or best regions to go birding in Portugal. I think after Matt’s talk many of us will be beating a path to Portugal to experience an interesting and calmer, slow-paced birding trip in the sun.

It was his great grandfather who first moved to Deeping to farm in the late 19th century, and Nicholas is now the fourth generation to farm here. His children and grandchildren are also involved in the farm. Nicholas took over the running of the farm from his father in 1964 when farming practices were starting to become more intensive. The Fens were originally drained back in the 17th century when wind-power was used to pump water into large, straight channels that fed into the rivers like the Welland, Witham, Nene and Great Ouse and then entered The Wash. After WWII agriculture was all about maximising crop yields and draining more low-lying land, particularly in the Fens, which is only just above sea-level and, in some areas, below it. Larger fields were created and drainage pipes were laid over vast areas to keep the land from flooding, all of which was detrimental to the wildlife.
Deep ploughing and crop spraying was also intensive and herbicides, pesticides and a whole host of other chemicals were applied to the land - this in turn killed off insects and their eggs, worms, weeds and wildflowers and ultimately led to the demise of more wildlife - the farm had very little wildlife when Nicholas took over in 1964. He did his first BTO survey in the same year looking at ‘Birds in Estuaries’ around the Wash (now WeBS) and later, in 1982, decided to do bird surveys on the farm - looking at Skylarks and Corn buntings, once common farmland birds. As the fields became larger the birds declined with only fourteen skylarks counted in 1992; there were over one hundred prior to that when the fields were smaller.
The first part of his talk was pretty depressing really as he showed us how modern farming was literally destroying the wildlife; the grubbing out of hedges to make larger fields, the barren, deep drainage channels with no vegetation on the banks and the loss of the fifty or so cattle yards all compounded to create an area without insects or weed seeds, meaning there were very few birds on the farm. Also, modern grain-stores were now enclosed with doors which prevented sparrows and finches from picking up spilt grain and the reduction in potato graves meant fewer places for birds to forage for food - it was all looking very grim for wildlife.
So, looking at this thoughtfully, he decided to create more areas on the farm that would support and encourage wildlife. They now do more direct drilling of crops instead of the traditional ploughing, and this has led to more lapwings breeding on the farm. They also sow more cover crops such as peas and beans which, when left to dry, provide good sites for birds.
He also created large, six-metre wide field margins which are full of wildflowers such as poppies and dog daisies and around fifty or so different weed species, such as teasels, which are a great source of nectar and seeds. Barn owls favour these wide, grassy weedy margins and he had fifteen pairs nesting on his farms in 2014. One of the slides showed a Barn owl box containing seven young owls, which is very unusual, but very good. (He also said that this year has not been a good one for Barn owls - as we
know from our own boxes in the Wensum Valley). Nicholas built five brick Barn owl nest towers which he thinks are also used by at least six other species, including Mallard, Stock dove, Jackdaws, Kestrels, Tree sparrows, as well as the owls themselves. There are lots of voles on the farm due to the extensive rough grassy areas and field margins, although during prolonged wet periods voles don’t breed - which in turn means less food the owls. Everything in nature is connected via the food chain - so it’s vital to make sure that every creature in this chain thrives, as is happening at Vine House Farm today. In some areas of the farm, he began to farm organically, which reduces the use of pesticides, but believes that the main thing that has brought wildlife back is the creation of more bird and insect
friendly habitat. Certain crops benefit birds in different ways, and one crop in particular is very good for wildlife - Oil seed rape. Nicholas said that at least ten species of birds will breed and feed in this crop including Reed buntings, Whitethroats and Yellow wagtails.
Other innovative measures he uses are to provide nesting sites for Skylark - they normally nest in arable fields and will make a nest beside tractor tramlines - but these lines also act as a run for mammal predators - like rats and stoats - so many nests fail and could also be disturbed by machinery. What they do at Vine House Farm is to create ‘Skylark plots’ these are rectangular bare patches of earth within a crop that allow the Skylark to nest away from the tramlines and are therefore less susceptible
to predation - he has around 400 plots on his farms now and a healthy Skylark population. This scheme is backed by the Government and farmers can get £11 per plot in compensation for the loss of the crop, so it’s another income source which is vital so his conservation work can increase.
A mixed spinney was planted on the farm which now has bluebells growing in it, and the double rows of hedges planted contain a good range of species including, Bramble, Hazel, Hawthorn, Dogwood, Guelder rose, and Blackthorn, all of which provide nectar for insects and in turn food for birds as well as nesting sites. Nicholas believes that Ivy is of great benefit to wildlife and he recently counted 25 Red admirals gathering nectar from Autumnal ivy flowers, it’s a plant we should encourage really. Several ponds were also created and bushes planted and they made a reservoir which at one time had over eighty pairs of Common terns - but sadly he notes they were predated by mink until they were eradicated in recent years. He also said they realised Moorhens were also taking the tern eggs but still welcomes them on the farm ponds.
Another innovative action was that Nicholas managed to get onto the local Drainage Authority Boards and advocated that they should only mow the drainage channel banks once per year and also perhaps on alternative sides (see below). Not only does this save money for the drainage board and farmer, it also leaves a vital habit for warblers and other wildlife. Previously, drainage channels were traditionally scraped or mowed and cleared of vegetation within an inch of their life, leaving nothing but silt or very short grass. This method would not provide a habitat for nesting birds. It’s such a simple thing to do and he says some other boards have also adopted the system and there are even technical manuals available for farmers to encourage this more-eco-friendly procedure. He said that on his farm, because of this environmentally friendly method, he seen an increase in Reed and Sedge warblers (over 140 territories recorded) and he has Cuckoo’s on his land each year too - some arriving as early as April 16th.
Another crop he sows and allows to go to seed is Kale, and he has recorded over 400 Linnets feeding on this cover crop. Linnets will travel up to a mile in search of seeds for their young, whilst other birds such as Blackbirds and Robins will only go a matter of a few hundred yards. Because Nicholas is a hands-on farmer and conservationist his knowledge about farmland species is second to none and he provided us with so many fascinating facts and insights into bird behaviour. They grow seeds for birds on the farm, including sunflowers, millet and canary seed - which are also sold in the farm shop and online. He tells us that he feeds birds all year round and one slide showed hundreds of Tree sparrows on twenty-eight long tubular feeders, every food port had a Tree sparrow on it - an amazing sight. This was back in 2017 and he says many of the Tree sparrows have relocated elsewhere, although he still feeds them red millet and provides nest boxes for them.
​Other innovative features on his farms include: Wind Turbines which create clean energy, a Bio-mass boiler, Ground source heat pumps and a facility to burn waste oil - these help heat many of the farm buildings and cafe. It just goes to show that farming can also be good for wildlife if different methods are incorporated into the system and some very simple measures can lead to more habitat being provided for wildlife. We need more farmers like Nicholas Watts and we really enjoyed his informative and inspirational talk about how he farms in The Fens with wildlife at its heart.
After the talk I asked him about a WVBS group trip to his farm next summer - so watch this space as we’ll be organising an outdoor event in May or June 2026. The previous visit to his farm was back in 2017 and Mary kindly sent the photo below as a reminder of that trip.

Apparently there are an estimated 22 million gardens in the UK with an area of 433,000 hectares which, prior to Garden Birdwatch, was not being monitored for wildlife. It started in 1995 (so 30th anniversary this year) with aims of monitoring the long-term trends in garden birds and engaging the public in meaningful conservation action. Numbers wise by the end of the first year they had 3,481 subscribers; by 2025 they have 10,399! Over the years they have extended the ambit of data collection and now include mammals, bees, butterflies, reptiles, amphibians, dragonflies and work with other organisations to share and study the data.
Susan gave some examples of what the data has shown: the decline in Greenfinches which seemed to coincide with an increase in Wood pigeon reporting. Supplementary feeding was suspected to be the cause and postmortem studies showed that trichomonosis (a protozoan parasite) had transmitted from the pigeons to the finches. This led to updated guidance about cleaning bird feeders regularly (weekly!) and rotating them around the garden. There is also a move away from ground feeders and bird tables, to try to reduce contact with contaminated food. Susan said that there is currently a multi-organisation review into using garden feeders
with a view to updating the guidance. It’s a tricky area as feeding and enjoying birds in the garden gives great pleasure, and also benefits mental health – but, of course, we need to try and do it safely. It seems that there may be a drive towards feeders which are more easily cleaned (How do I dismantle my squirrel buster??)!
The BTO is currently running a Blackbird survey: this was prompted by the drop in numbers reported over the last 5 years due to Usutu, a mosquito borne virus. Interestingly reported Blackbird numbers have always been lower in London but there has been a 50% drop there over the last 5 years. They are currently looking to see if this is perhaps common to other large
urban areas. And as they ask questions about bird health, they have been able to track the spread of Avian pox from Garden birdwatch reports.
Overwintering Blackcaps are a feature of climate change which survey results have highlighted.
Reports showed that more were being recorded in gardens in the winter and also that there is a SW/NE divide, with more in the SW with a milder winter climate. Over time, the winter visitors have been found to have evolved narrower beaks and shorter wing length, a function of differing diet and shorter migration distances, an interesting example of morphology changing with different migration patterns.
She encouraged us to join Garden Birdwatch if we weren’t already (hands raised showed quite a few of us were but quite a few weren’t....). You can do it all online or download paper forms and it is quite self-explanatory. Most of it is tick boxes. You just need to devote a consistent amount of time observing the birds in your garden every week. I have never used the
comments box but it transpires that many people put comments there or send queries or comments or photos to the team who sound amazingly receptive and friendly.
Keen Garden Birdwatchers were encouraged to volunteer as Ambassadors.
Top Norfolk birds are Blackbird, Blue tit, Robin and Wood Pigeon. They currently have 341 reporters in the county and 99 in Norwich. She thought these were good numbers but I was surprised that in a county renowned for its birds and birdwatchers that it was so low. 
​Why not give it a go?
With many thanks to Susan for her stimulating and interesting presentation.

George gave a brief history of the reserve saying that his predecessors, Robert, Billy and Bernard Bishop were wardens at Cley since the inception of the reserve in 1926. Next year marks the 100th anniversary of Cley Marshes, the first nature reserve for the NWT (previously called The Norfolk Naturalist’s Trust). Interestingly David Attenborough will also be 100 years old next May and Cley has the ‘Attenborough Walk’ footpath which was opened by him in summer 2015 after the NWT purchased additional land at Salthouse to the East of the East bank.
The presentation began with George explaining about the nature and geography of the reserve, which consists of grazing marshes (formerly saltmarsh) reedbeds, shallow lagoon pools and wader scrapes, plus the shingle beach, drainage ditches and ‘cuts’ and a freshwater, spring-fed channel known as ‘Catchwater Drain’. This marks the southern boundary of the reserve (as seen below) and there is a large, modern visitor centre located just off the A149 coast road.
The area between the ‘Catchwater Drain’ (line of the footpath in blue) and the ‘New Cut’ (turquoise line parallel to the beach) is a freshwater habitat whilst the lagoons to the north of this zone are generally brackish and subject to tidal surges or over-topping on a fairly regular basis.
The site is managed for waders and wildfowl, and the Avocet is one of the important species to nest here - although George said the Avocets have not had a very good year as many of the chicks were predated by the resident Marsh Harriers or other predators. Consequently, many of the adult birds have moved further west towards the Stiffkey area. Other species that breed here include Lapwing, and there are good numbers here, including juveniles on the scrapes and grazing marshes. Other species found at Cley are Bitterns, Bearded tits (12 to 15 pairs) and Curlew, plus spring migrants such as Sedge, Reed and Cetti’s warblers. This year, a Marsh warbler was present for a few weeks which caused quite a stir!
George mentioned that the sea can inundate the reserve, and one serious flood in particular occurred in early January 2017 when a massive tidal surge flooded across the whole of freshwater zone right up to the main road. Inundation by seawater is a big problem as it can damage the delicate ecosystem and habitat which is of great importance for the birdlife that lives here.
George noted that according to the Environment Agency, the impact can be lessened substantially if the saltwater is drained from the land within nine days. As there are several drains and channels on the reserve to do this task it has been found that the plants, reeds and grasses can quickly recover if the seawater is removed within that time frame. Regularly testing and monitoring the salinity of the lagoons and wader scrapes is part of George’s job, and UCL also carry out a monitoring system and record the fish and other creatures found in the freshwater. They have found Pike, Perch and Rudd which will provide food for Grebes, Herons, Egrets and Bitterns. George thinks that the population of Great White egrets will expand here in the coming years. He also managed to get a good film of a female Bittern from a trail cam - this is on Facebook if anyone wants to see it.
Flooding can have some beneficial effects too according to George as he said that many of the mammalian predators such as rats, stoats and weasels were killed or displaced and the following breeding season was really good for waders, as of course there were fewer predators on the reserve - so in theory not all bad news, especially when you consider the extent of the inundation by seawater.
This was at the time devastating as even the coast road was flooded and all the freshwater lagoons and scrapes were affected. Luckily the area recovered, and the site is now providing the freshwater habitat required by the many species that thrive here. The Visitor Centre can be seen on the right above the triangular road sign and the wooded area is ‘North Foreland Wood’ which is privately owned (not NWT) but is of great importance to the reserve as this is where the heronry is located.
George showed us several aerial photos of this wood taken from a volunteer’s drone and we could see the nesting sites of Grey herons, Cattle and Little egrets and another wonderful shot taken showing a Spoonbill’s nest with an adult and three chicks, known as ‘teaspoons’. This was an amazing photo, and George explained how the egrets and spoonbills had gradually moved from the Holkham area to nest in the wood at Cley. There are at least ten spoonbills present on the reserve at the moment.
Although George’s presentation was brief as it was also the summer social, we were given a great insight into the day-to-day running of the reserve and all the essential work that is carried out to maintain the rich habitats there for wildlife.
There were plenty of before and after shots which showed how they maintain the scrapes and manage the water levels so that there are zones for all species. For example, he said that when North Scrape was dredged last year, some shingle islands were created for nesting waders and terns (several tonnes of shingle were brought in for this purpose, not taken from beach!), and that the periphery of the lagoon was made deeper to attract diving ducks. He also said the reedbeds were cut and managed and the reeds sold for thatching, whilst ditches and scrapes will be cleared with a brand new purpose-built machine that should make the job more manageable and quicker.
Another feature of the reserve is the many cattle that graze here, with one large group of black Aberdeen Angus who can be seen moving around the fresh marsh areas with the attendant Cattle egrets (large flocks of over twenty birds recorded recently) foraging around their hooves.

Overall it was a great evening (although attendance numbers seemed to be a little down this year). We all appreciated the informative presentation from George and the lovely food and drink provided by the club members. On a plus note George offered to take the group on a guided tour of the reserve next year sometime and hopefully this will be one of the outdoor field trips to look forward to in 2026, so keep an eye out for information regarding this.