Help tackling some birds on the UK list (1 Viewer)

M

Moadib

Well-known member

• Apr 22, 2018

• #1

Having enjoyed birdwatching for many years, my wife and I are slowly beginning to focus on some of the species we've never caught up with. Our birding is mainly done in Scotland and northern England, which means quite a few are hard to find unless we get a rarity drifting up here.

She has a couple of days holiday near the end of May, and I was thinking to get away for a long weekend to try and see nightjar - being one of the species we've never seen (despite a couple of tries in southern Scotland).

What I wanted to ask was any suggestion of a good area to go. I was thinking of trying to see cirl bunting (another we've never seen), so heading down to SW England area, but if anyone had any suggestions of good nightjar areas anywhere in the UK, it would be really helpful.

 

S

Steve Lister

Senior Birder, ex County Recorder, Garden Moths.

• Apr 22, 2018

• #2

You should certainly be able to find Cirl Bunting and Nightjar, plus Dartford Warbler, without much trouble in a day (and evening) around south Devon. Labrador bay for the bunting and Aylesbeare or Woodbury Commons for the other two.

Steve

 

M

Moadib

Well-known member

• Apr 23, 2018

• #3

Many thanks. Dartford warbler we enjoyed once on a morning walk along Dunwich Heath, but would be always a nice bird to see.
Are there any fairly reliable sites further north for nightjar, or is it a case of the further south the better? It looks like 8 hours drive or so down to south Devon - do-able, but might 16 hours drive might be too much for me for a weekend. Maybe I need to leave cirl bunting for a longer summer trip

 

W

Welsh Peregrine

Well-known member

• Apr 23, 2018

• #4

Nightjar should be available in North Wales (Nercwys) or Staffordshire (Cannock Chase) although I have not personally looked for a few years. (Also had a super view of a perched one on Mt Cameroon a week or so ago - but not guaranteed there!)

 

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Moadib

Well-known member

• Apr 30, 2018

• #5

Thanks for that. Will look into those and plan out what we can do. Much appreciate the advice.

 

JWN Andrewes

Poor Judge of Pasta.

• Apr 30, 2018

• #6

Got silhouette views of Nightjar a couple of times at Nercwys last summer. Can ferret out site details for you if you decide to try there.

 

Goyter

Well-known member

• May 1, 2018

• #7

We have a site in the goyt valley near Buxton used the last few years
Don't know about this year yet - still a bit early
Pm me if of any interest

 

M

Moadib

Well-known member

• May 13, 2018

• #8

JWN Andrewes said:

Got silhouette views of Nightjar a couple of times at Nercwys last summer. Can ferret out site details for you if you decide to try there.

Click to expand...

Thanks, that would be very interesting. We're still hoping to make a trip down at end of May, so planning where best to go. June would be better, but June weekends are looking very busy unfortunately :-(

 

Vipers

Brunswick Birder

• May 22, 2018

• #9

There are sites for Nightjar in Northumberland, around Slaley forest.

 

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Moadib

Well-known member

• May 23, 2018

• #10

Wow, thanks, Northumberland sounds really great, within a reasonable drive from me. Do you know whether it's a wide area, and if so whether there are best trails to follow? We tried Raiders Road down south from us in Dumfries, and it's HUGE. You really need to have an idea where you're headed (which we didn't - although the midgies tracked us down pretty quickly!)
I saw on some websites that Slaley have good guidance on nightjar - not to go walking in clearings or otherwise disturbing them, which is really good to see.