On our summer cruise from Mantua to Venice, though, we found the Po in much gentler mood and spent much time on the top deck, watching the sparkling waters play around pale beaches, sundappled islands and the vast salt marshes of the Po Delta, which are rich in flamingo, heron, tern,
black-necked grebe and other spectacular birdlife.
1968: Nesting behaviour of the
black-necked grebe Podiceps nigricollis (Brehm) in Southern Africa.
We spent several sunny hours out on the top deck, binoculars at the ready, as our boat glided effortlessly past the pale blonde beaches and sleepy, tree-laden islands of the Po Delta nature park, a vast and verdant region which, fed by six branches of the Po and home to heron, tern,
black-necked grebe and even the occasional flamingo, is one of Europe's most important wetland areas.
Anglesey continued to host Slavonian grebe at Beddmanarch Bay and
black-necked grebe at Cefni Reservoir.
Andrew Seed, 45, was caught when police, acting on a tip off, raided his home and found 2,500 eggs, including osprey, golden eagle and
black-necked grebe.
Black-necked grebe - British stronghold for this rare bird since 1980's
Most tantalising, however, is the news that the
black-necked grebe, now in its smart black and chestnut plumage, with golden yellow ear tufts, has stayed into April.
A waxwing over Bangor on Sunday was the first for several weeks, while a long-tailed duck off Newborough,
black-necked grebe on Cefni reservoir and redhead smew at RSPB Valley lakes are all scarce birds this winter.
Species allegedly include osprey, roseate tern, black-throated diver and
black-necked grebe.
Other eggs include chough, found in parts of Wales and Northern Ireland,
black-necked grebe, found in parts of northern England, and marsh harrier, possibly from southern England.
black-necked grebe - small grebe with yellow ear tufts and a black neck; found in Eurasia and southern Africa as well as western United States