Common Birding, Uncommon Birds; End of May 2020

Tuesday 26th May; Night Birding

There are special birds that under normal circumstances require special efforts to see since they don't conform to what is termed "normal" bird behaviour. One of these, the Nightjar is a summer visitor to heathland in the UK and is mainly crepuscular in habits, that is it tends to be active only during twilight hours. So, unless you are fortunate enough to come across a Nightjar that is resting during the day, and they are incredibly well camouflaged birds so very difficult to find, the only sure way to see one is to visit a heath in the last hour or so of daylight. As the sun dips below the horizon, it is only then that Nightjars come out to play!

I've never found a day roosting Nightjar myself although except for one that had habitually taken to roosting in an Oak tree at Arne a few years ago, so I've always had to go out in the evening to see them. It's an exciting mission to go looking for Nightjar and inevitably I manage to arrive at a heathland site a few hours before sundown, far too early for any birds to be active. Last year Mrs Caley and I surprised a Nightjar from the side of the track as soon as we'd entered our favourite Berkshire heath but that bird had disappeared into a conifer wood so we were denied a really good view until darkness fell. I keep the location of the heath to just myself, and Mrs Caley of course. I was told of it by a local resident, who I did some work for, and who expressly requested that I share the site details with nobody since the small heath is privately owned and surrounded by houses. Access is gained through gardens and I have to ask before visiting.

Nightjar roosting, Arne, 16/07/2020

We chose a fine and still evening to visit and as usual arrived far too early but that gave us time to do a couple of circuits of the heath checking any likely looking places that a Nightjar could be resting. Piles of logs, horizontal tree branches, open patches of ground were all checked but no Nightjars were found so we would have to wait. While we stand around, we wonder whether any Nightjar are actually present this year, since there are never any outward signs that they are. There are other birds on the heath, a pair of Green Woodpeckers shifted noisily from tree to tree and a little Wren serenaded us from nearby. A Grey Wagtail hunted for flies above a small stream. In the past we've seen Tree Pipits here but none have been present for a couple of years now. As the sun begins to dip in the sky a procession of Jackdaws and Rooks pass overhead going to their roosts for the night and that is the sign that things will pick up.

At almost a quarter to ten and with the light almost gone we got our first bit of real action. Not from a Nightjar but from a Woodcock which passed overhead. Woodcocks are also crepuscular, like Nightjar are hard to observe in daylight hours during which time they roost motionless on the ground and usually in a concealed place where their incredible camouflage renders them invisible. Occasionally Woodcock will reveal themselves by feeding openly in wet weather, or will be flushed from a path or woodland as you walk along. The best time to see them though is when the males perform their "Roding" territorial flights which involve them flying around in a circuit whilst uttering grunts, whistles and clicks. These Roding flights only take place above woodland and open heathland nearby and only just before dark. The Woodcock feed during the night choosing fields in which to probe for worms and other invertebrates with their long bills. In flight they look a little comical with that long bill almost tipping them forward with the dumpy body behind acting as a counterweight. The legs are left trailing behind the short tail and the wings are reasonably long. At the dying embers of the evening we can only see the silhouette of the Woodcocks but if seen in good light then the mix of striped and mottled browns and greys lend the birds that incredible cryptic plumage. Unless one is caught out in the open, see header photo of one that crossed the road ahead of us in Scotland a few years back!

Woodcock in Roding flight

Three minutes after the first Woodcock flight we heard a Nightjar, quelling those earlier doubts, not the expected "churring" song of a male but a frog like "krick, krick" call. A few moments later the bird flew overhead. It was pretty dark now but there was still enough light in the sky to be able to see the Nightjar as it passed. Nightjars are long winged but have silent flight and against the dark trees you only know they're coming when you hear that call. This Nightjar appeared to be a female and presumably alone, usually we've seen a pair here, since at no point over the next half hour did we hear any churring song and as far as I could tell the Nightjar didn't stop to perch at all. Photos were impossible to get so I include a couple from previous years below.

Nightjar

Even though our views were not the best we've had of these amazing birds we still left feeling exhilarated, Nightjar are definitely special birds and are well worth making the special effort to see them.


Saturday 30th May; Heathing

After seeing the Nightjar on Tuesday evening, I thought we'd have a go at finding one at roost. I'd been checking local bird news sites, not for Oxon since, as far as I'm aware, we don't have Nightjar in the county, but for Berkshire because there you do get Nightjar and only just over the border. Berkshire has lots of heathland, Oxon has very little, and Nightjars invariably require heathland on which to summer and breed in the UK. I chose to check out Buckleberry Common near Thatcham where reports of at least half a dozen Nightjars had been logged over the past few days. We parked by the crossroads and walked onto the Common and I immediately had a sense of "déjà vu", I'd done this before but had forgotten! When I checked my records later I realised that we'd tried this game before in 2012. Then our walk had thrown up almost no birds at all and over the next hour or so we repeated that achievement! A new note then of maybe not bothering trying to find Nightjar asleep but perhaps worth checking out the evenings since Buckleberry Common is a wide open space, still surrounded by trees at the edges, but which would provide a much better chance of watching the Nightjars against the lighter sky and hence give an increased opportunity to get some flight shots. That would have to wait for another day though and perhaps even another year, considering that we did have Nightjar on this years list already so didn't really need to go chasing them again. We left Buckleberry with only a Kestrel hovering high above the heath as reward.

Kestrel

In a moment of inspiration Mrs Caley suggested that we head to nearby Greenham Common and take a walk there. We know Greenham Common well, it had been our go to place for Dartford Warblers for a few years until a couple of years ago when we failed to find any. It is a great place to find most of the heathland specialities. Despite its popularity with other recreationists it is a big enough place to get away from most other folk too, still an important consideration at the moment. After spending an age waiting at the Thatcham railway crossing which allowed no fewer than three trains to pass before we were allowed to continue our journey, we were surprised to find the main carparks open again at the Common. We made our way fro the smaller carpark at the western edge of the Common, only to find that full, so returned back towards the main Control Tower parking area but instead spotted a space in a lay-by opposite the Golf club. Being "forced" to park in the lay-by was to be our big lucky moment of the day!

We entered the Common via a small gate and walked directly south initially heading towards the old missile silos where there is a good area for birds. We quickly added a distant Woodlark to our year list and, straight after a Tree Pipit too, taking our year list spot up to 167. We were already doing much better than earlier at Buckleberry! 

Tree Pipit

I spotted a Stonechat perched on a gorse bush and moved nearer to secure a photo, not that I don't already have any snaps of what must be one of our most photogenic species. The Stonechat, a female, posed dutifully as they always do, not for my benefit of course but using the lookout perch to watch for any insects that it can catch to feed to its nestlings which would be secreted away in the spiny jungle of the gorse patch. 

female Stonechat

When we first became keen birders back in the last century, we saw a very special bird on Dunwich Heath in Suffolk. A bird we quickly came to love and one that we never tire of watching. We learned back then that, "If you find a Stonechat, then wait and keep looking because the Stonechat may have a friend nearby". That adage still holds true because as I watched this Stonechat, I noticed some movement to the left and turning my head saw a fabulous male Dartford Warbler (DW) perched right on top of another gorse bush. Ever since our first sighting of a DW, we've always held a passion for them. Initially they were fairly rare and difficult to find and we used to travel to either Dunwich Heath or the New Forest for them. Over the last twenty years or so Dartford Warbler numbers in the UK has increased considerably, from just a few hundred to several thousands, mainly because of our much milder winters allowing them to survive from year to year. In keeping with other small sedentary birds, like the diminutive Wren, Dartford warblers are unable to survive prolonged cold periods owing to the difficulty during those hard times to find food. Now DW's are far more widespread and Greenham Common holds a few pairs, we'd been finding them there for a few years but had found none in the last two years after the area of gorse that they frequented was scrubbed to the ground for regeneration. It was good to find one again. I quickly secured some photos, not great because we were looking straight into the strong sunshine, before the smart little sprite disappeared.

male Dartford Warbler

The Dartford Warbler was replaced at the top of the gorse by a male Stonechat, probably even more camera friendly than its female partner. It was clear that the Stonechats were collecting food intended for their brood which would be in their nest within the gorse somewhere. After a few photos we moved away and gave the birds some space. Unfortunately the Labrador that raced through the gorse bushes moments later was less understanding. Another example of folk with pets being unaware or completely uninterested in the welfare of the nature around them. At least gorse is as inhospitable to dogs as it to us, those spines take no prisoners!

male Stonechat

As we walked around the Common, keeping to the paths as requested and required by BBOWT who manage the area, many other birds were seen perched on the top of gorse and brambles. Linnets, another favourite of heathland, were everywhere. Many other Stonechats kept watch before darting out to catch flying insects. Another Tree Pipit sang heartily from a small Silver Birch sapling. Other birds that we saw in and around the gorse were Blue Tits, Common Whitethroats, Skylarks and a Green Woodpecker.

juvenile Blue Tit

male Linnet

Another fine male Stonechat perched next to a wide path where the runway used to be in the middle of the Common. We know from experience that this is one of the best parts of the Common for birds, most people stick to the paths that circumnavigate the area and rarely venture onto the central paths, hence it tends to be quieter and less disturbed. 

male Stonechat

The Stonechat flew across the path into bushes opposite and was followed by a small dark shape, another Dartford Warbler! This was turning into a good morning. I quickly found the Dartford Warbler, another male, in a small gorse bush where it briefly sang its scratchy little song. It moved to a small leafy bush and continued singing and calling before flying back the way it came. Once there it re-emerged on a prominent bramble twine where it showed incredibly well and right in full view, far from typical for the species. Without ever leaving my spot on the main path I put the camera into overdrive taking shot after shot of the beautiful little bird.

male Dartford Warbler

The male was then joined by the more demure female, obviously a pair together. We moved away to the furthest side of the path so as not to encroach on their territory, Dartford Warblers are schedule 1 breeding species and should not be disturbed at or near their nest sites. At the edge of the path, we were well away from the birds and watched as they in turns disappeared into the thick gorse and bramble and then enjoyed as they put in appearances on the same bramble twig. The male was probably the showiest Dartford warbler that I've ever watched.

female Dartford Warbler

After securing my photos we left the pair to it and explored further along the path. We found more Pipits, both Tree and Meadow varieties, Skylarks and a very inquisitive pair of Jackdaws. Another fine male Stonechat stood tall showing off a prized Green Caterpillar which would make a fair meal for one its youngsters and fail to grow into a Butterfly or Moth.

Jackdaw

Meadow Pipit

Stonechat

With the sun beating down and the day becoming very warm we headed for the air-conditioned car. As we passed the showy male Dartford Warbler was still perched up on the bramble so I took a last few shots. They are just exquisite birds and I love 'em!