Being late June, it was time for my annual trip to a traditional site in north Notts to see the crepuscular Goatsucker ( or 'Goatmilker' which translates directly into Latin as Caprimulgus-aka Nightjar).....the Goatsucker country name being due to the wholly erroneous folk-tale notions of its intentions when flying amongst animals.
I was accompanied by Peter Cawdell, Chairman of the Lincs branch of Butterfly Conservation. He had shown me some scarce butterflies in Spain last October and I thought I would return the compliment by showing him a scarce bird in the UK....a bird he hadn't seen before.
We left Bracebridge Heath at c 8.00pm and an hour later we had arrived at our destination in north Notts. The weather was perfect....no wind, warm and with mainly clear skies. While we waited for the main action to begin, we were entertained by roding Woodcock which flew over our heads on three occasions.
Churring began to our left at 9.50pm and was taken up by another bird (or probably two birds) churring to our right. Ten minutes later in reasonably good light, we had our first views of the male Nightjar in flight with the white spots on the primaries and white tips to the outer tail feathers; a few minutes later, we were delighted when it flew quite close across in front of us and then back again with its easy silent moth-like flight, deliberate wing-beats alternating with graceful sweeps and wheels....great views, with Peter all the while operating his camcorder.
By the time we left the site at 10.45pm, with clear skies and the stars twinkling above, we had enjoyed further views, more churring and also heard the 'cu-ik, cu-ik' calls. Great entertainment. Peter probably had mixed emotions on occasions......enjoyment at seeing his first Nightjar but knowing also that it was chompng away at some of his favourite 'papillons de nuit' ....mixed emotions, rather like a man watching the unloved mother-in-law driving over a cliff in his treasured vintage Jaguar.
On our entering North Hykeham on the outskirts of Lincoln on our return journey, an adult Tawny Owl was well seen as it flew across the road in front of us in the bright glare of street lights and landed with wings outstretched on a telegraph pole. We arrived back at BBH at c. midnight.
So, my birding day which had begun in the company of Roy Harvey watching adult Spotted Flycatchers feeding their chicks in the nest at North Kelsey Moor,near Caistor, Lincs and then continued with Roy to see the Crane at Saxby, Lincs finished with a visit in the company of Peter Cawdell watching Woodcock and Nightjar in north Notts and with an unexpected sighting of Tawny Owl back in Lincs again.
Some good birding there.
Freddy