General Chat

Have just been up on the Quantocks listening to Nightjars. At one point we were totally surrounded by them. Amazing.

What surprised me though was how many other people were up there just standing about listening to the birds, or I assume that it what they were doing there.

M

I think I heard a nightjar here once but was never really sure.

We are not far away from a nature reserve but I don't think it is a bird we have ever seen or heard much of in this area.

Unlike skylarks and I do miss hearing them.

I haven't heard a nightjar for years - yes, you do have to seek them out now. I went out with a 'twitcher' years ago and he knew a place in Dorset where they could be heard - wonderful 'chirring' noise. Rarely seen though!!

There are rumours of certain unsavoury groups of people using hilltop sites in Somerset at night for their dubious religious practices. I once stumbled across one such group on the hilltop at Uphill. That was many years ago; but I hear it still goes on. The local churches often complain about them.
The last time I saw a nightjar was in Devon about 5 years ago. These days I don't go out at the right times to see them.

I would like to think that most if the people were there to hear the birds. Otherwise there were an awful lot if them just standing about staring into space !!!

We did sctually see one flying, it made the other sound they do, a bit of a toowit, like an owl and settled in a tree.

I just couldn't get over the fact that we were surrounded by this churning sound, they started up around 9.45 and were still going when we called it a day at 10.40,

Silly thing was, we had walked through the woods to a clearing, overlooking a valley, where there had been some clear felling on the edge of the moor. There were quite a few there but when we went back to the car that is when we were surrounded by them.

We could have sat in the car and listened to them instead of fighting off the cold and mozzies in the middle of a spooky wood !!

M

Living in a rural area, I often just go out into my back garden at night just to listen. Mostly it is just owls I hear or the shrill scream of foxes, but occasionally it is a Nightjar.

How wonderful for you to have been lucky enough to be surrounded by their song.

Carol, that is one of the benefits of living out of town. Although I sometimes used to walk the dog at night, it was usually round a field and backing onto fields we hear owls and foxes but I had to go a couple of miles further to hear the nightjars.

My son had done a survey of them last week with his volunteers in a different area, they had heard lots then but he wanted to see if there were any nearer to home, and there were.

We also live near the sea so get an odd assortment of wildlife, the Gulls are kicking up a right row at the moment. M

Living up North and Scotland don't think there are many Nightjars about here and I certainly have never seen nor heard one so have just put the name into Google and the RSPB have a site for it with audio So now I know what a Nightjar looks like and more so how lovely it sounds chirping away....wish we could here it down hear. :-)

Nolls, that RSPB site is excellent. I have identified many birds from it and only earlier, discovered the difference between mistle and song thrushes.

You learn something new every day !! ( just need to remember it ! ). M

Lucky you...We don't get them near us in Oxfordshire....Pity....LES...