14 members attended the evening meeting to see Nightjars and Woodcocks. It was an overcast and cool evening as last year. Most birds had already gone to roost but I did see a Great-spotted Woodpecker hammering on a dead tree before the walk started. A Chaffinch was singing from a tree top at the car park. As we entered the forest tracks a Song Thrush and a Willow Warbler could be heard singing and a Curlew was heard calling beyond the trees over the field. The occasional Woodpigeons and Carrion Crows and a Kestrel flew over. When we reached the favourable area for the Nightjars we heard one churring before it started to get dark. Two were heard churring further away and one close by near the track. Eventually we had one fly low overhead and then three were seen briefly flying over the track. A bird was seen perched before flying into the trees. We only saw one Woodcock but had several sightings of possibly the same bird. We made the return walk to the cars at 10.30 and had a Nightjar churring in a patch of conifers I haven’t heard them in before. Throughout the evening we heard lots of churring which went on quite late. A Tawny Owl was also seen and heard as it got darker.
Thank you to all who attended.
Total species = 11
Mike Smithson