Nightjars

 My brother David and I popped over to Norfolk this afternoon with the aim of seeing Nightjars, we normally visit at least once a year and it's usually in either July or August when the birds are feeding young. It was a sunny and rather still evening and conditions looked promising though before we visited the 'jars we went to Titchwell for a couple of hours.

Ruffs, Black-tailed Godwit and Avocet

The reserve was rather quiet with few waders on view which suggests that the tide may have been out. Black-tailed Godwits and Avocets were the commonest species with lesser numbers of Ruff. Best was an adult Curlew Sandpiper feeding with a flock of fifty plus Dunlin. At least one Curlew was feeding on the freshwater marsh while a Whimbrel called several times as it passed over. Singles of Common and Green Sandpiper were noted and there were ten plus Redshanks as well. A search through the gulls produced sightings of several adult Mediterraneans which had all but moulted their black heads. One of the best birds was an immature Spoonbill while a brace of Sandwich Terns were my first British ones of the year. Several Yellow Wagtails were the pick of the passerines while raptors were represented by Kestrel and Marsh Harrier. 

Common Tern, Med Gull and Spoonbill

After a food stop in Dersingham we reached the heath just before the sun set, bird activity was minimal other than a family party of Stonechats. Some twenty minutes or so after the sun had gone down the first male Nightjar began churring and we heard a female call as she hunted somewhere unseen nearby.  Other males began to sing as the light began to slip away and the females became more active. I only managed a few fleeting views of one though my brother did slightly better. A Tawny Owl was calling as we made our way back towards the car, it hadn't been our best Nightjar session but happily it was far from being our worst either.