Nightingales in Norfolk. (Late June).

[Andrew]

Does anyone have any good advice on finding Nightingales in Norfolk in late June or even in parts of Suffolk close to the Norfolk border? Any advice would be appreciated.

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Minsmere or Walberswick might be a good bet (if that's close enough), although I'm sure others will know of good sites in Norfolk. I reckon they'll be getting a bit quiet by then though.

[Surreybirder]

I agree with Andrew. Late June is a very difficult time to see or hear nightingales. In my experience they are pretty quiet after they have young. Though fledglings can be quite noisy when they are demanding food.

[Reader]

Andrew

If you want Nightingales gauranteed there is only one place you should go to. Paxton Pits. It lies slightly north of St Neots and is also not far from the RSPB lodge at Sandy. Its just off the A1.

I went there on Saturday as they are just arriving. I heard 5 and saw 3. There were at least 4 more there that I didn't hear.

last year I heard well over 30 Nightingales there.

What other site can boast that?

[Jasonbirder]

Little Paxton is a great site for Nightingales - probably the best in England and only 2 minutes off the A1 if you`re driving, Minsmere can be OK too and Whisby Pits in Lincolnshire (just up the road from me!) is a good site too - Late June is quite late to get them though and they are very hard if you can`t pick them up by their song - I know you`ve got good eyes but i`d really enlist some assistance on Nightingales - seeing them can make finding Grasshopper Warblers easy!

[Andrew]

Thanks for the tip offs, I will be with a small gathering of friends and they will be my ears.

Might have a shot before then in Somerset though.

Need to be lucky like I was at Guernsey as one alighted on a scrub on the coast just in from France. Could not believe my luck, not a British tick though!!!

Speaking of Groppers, I am off tomorrow to find one where there have been lots of them reported recently, Northam Burrows. Wish me luck! Even a brief fly by will do me if it makes the right noises!

[Gaz Shilton]

RSPB Pulborough Brooks has a handful of Nightingales. Heard 6 around the reserve last summer.

[abbotalefan]

What's the best time of day for hearing nightingales? I'm a bit of a birding novice and usually short of time, but as I live in St Ives, Cambs, Paxton Pits are really close and I'd just love to hear nightingales singing!

Abbotalefan

[cjay]

I thought June was a bit late for singing Nightingales?

CJ

[abbotalefan]

I thought June was a bit late for singing Nightingales?

CJ

Hi Colin

I was hoping to get over to paxton pits sometime in the next couple of weeks. What's the best time of day to hear nightingales- early morning or evening?

Cheers

Abbotalefan

[Surreybirder]

After about 11 at night is probably the best time, but early morning should be safe enough. They seem to vary. We had one near us that sang reliably before dusk for a couple of weeks. Early May is probably the best time.
Good luck
Ken

[Bluetail]

In Devon we used to have a few pairs on Chudleigh Knighton Heath (long gone, unfortunately). In early May they'd be singing at dawn and readily visible too. In the evenings they sang more, but were more difficult to see.

[Bluetail]

Andrew

If you want Nightingales gauranteed there is only one place you should go to. Paxton Pits. It lies slightly north of St Neots and is also not far from the RSPB lodge at Sandy. Its just off the A1.

I went there on Saturday as they are just arriving. I heard 5 and saw 3. There were at least 4 more there that I didn't hear.

last year I heard well over 30 Nightingales there.

What other site can boast that?Unless they've plummeted in recent years, Martin Down in Hampshire used to be very good for them. Not sure it was quite up to Paxton numbers though.

[Surreybirder]

I heard a nightingale singing its socks off at mid-day today. It wasn't that hard to see, either. It was singing as I walked back in the other direction an hour later. Just goes to show that birds don't always read the text books.

[Darren Oakley-Martin]

I can agree with those that cite Paxton Pits. 20 singing males there at the moment, night and day.

www.paxton-pits.org.uk/sightings (http://www.paxton-pits.org.uk/sightings)

But also Salthouse Heath in Norfolk. 3 singing males last weekend.

[Grousemore]

I was up at Lea Valley this morning (Fishers Green) and there were several singing,but unusually,most confiding and easy to see;won't be the same when the trees aren't so bare,so now is a great time for these and other 'skulkers'.

[abbotalefan]

Went over to Paxton Pits the other evening, and I have to say it was great! Had an amble around one of the pits, must have heard at least a dozen nightingales singing. I've never heard one before, so I was chuffed to bits!