Norfolk Coot
Perpetual Novice
After a day of mixed weather (dull and drizzly all morning, followed by bright warm sunshine, then heavy showers) the evening was still and sunny so we decided to go looking for nightjars, a bird we had not seen before
Dersingham Bog
Apparently this is the best place in Norfolk to see nightjars. Even though I was brought up only 8 miles down the road I had never been here before. We entered the nature reserve from the second (Wolferton) entrance and followed the footpath round to the left and came to an area called The Cliff which is just what it says it is, 6,000 years ago this was where the sea came up to. What an amazing view right over the woods to the sea and beyond. You can see Snettisham RSPB and with the tide out, the expanse of mudflats in front of it. We followed the cliff top along as it bore right and could then look out over Dersingham Bog. A set of telephone wires cut a path through across the bog and through the trees beyond and we knew that this is where we would see the nightjars. A few gnats were about but were only a minor irritation. A small party of birders were approaching the same spot from the other direction and were also there for the nightjars. They had come up from the bog, and as it was still a little while before sunset we decided to go and have a look at the bog ourselves first. They warned us that the gnats were worse down there. A set up steps led down the cliff to a circular boardwalk which led out into the bog and back. The gnats were not too bad. A cuckoo was calling but was some distance away. We were right under the phone wires here but thought we might get better views from up the top so we climbed back up the steps and were immediately rewarded with a roding woodcock.
The other party had gone and we soon found out why. As we waited for the sun to set clouds of bugs appeared and before long it felt like we were being eaten alive. They were all over our clothes, our faces and in our hair. I must have inhaled lots! Even cigarette smoke wouldn’t keep them at bay. Regrettably we decided we couldn’t stay and trudged back along the cliff trying to outpace the swarms. We stopped briefly to admire the sunset, magnificent as always in this part of Norfolk, then went back to the car and headed for Sandringham woods.
Sandringham Woods
Back past the Wolferton Triangle, over the A149 and into Sandringham woods we passed half a dozen cars on the roadside but decided that wasn’t the place marked in our book so drove round, all the time worrying that it would get dark too quick. We couldn’t find the other place so headed back and parked by the other cars. At this point phone wires cut through the woods so we headed along the path beneath them to where some birders were gathered, including the small party missing from the Bog who had also fled from the hungry swarms!
More roding woodcocks were seen circling, making and high pitch calls and beating their wings. We could faintly hear the churring of a nightjar over the loud noise from the nearby A149. One of the party gave us a tip about cupping our hands to our ears. The effect was dramatic, amplifying the churring many times whilst blocking out the road noise. This churring noise of the nightjar is the most amazing sound and just seems to go on and on.
It wasn’t long before a nightjar was spotted in the air. Then another woodcock, which landed some distance away but was just visible in the gloom and the mist which was appearing from nowhere. Again we saw the nightjar, and again and again, all the time that amazing churring loud in our ears.
With the very last of the light we walked back through the mist to the car whilst we could still see where we were going, and a small bat flew over us. We were amazed to find it was 10pm. What a great evening! Next time we go armed with insect repellent!!
Kay & Col
Dersingham Bog
Apparently this is the best place in Norfolk to see nightjars. Even though I was brought up only 8 miles down the road I had never been here before. We entered the nature reserve from the second (Wolferton) entrance and followed the footpath round to the left and came to an area called The Cliff which is just what it says it is, 6,000 years ago this was where the sea came up to. What an amazing view right over the woods to the sea and beyond. You can see Snettisham RSPB and with the tide out, the expanse of mudflats in front of it. We followed the cliff top along as it bore right and could then look out over Dersingham Bog. A set of telephone wires cut a path through across the bog and through the trees beyond and we knew that this is where we would see the nightjars. A few gnats were about but were only a minor irritation. A small party of birders were approaching the same spot from the other direction and were also there for the nightjars. They had come up from the bog, and as it was still a little while before sunset we decided to go and have a look at the bog ourselves first. They warned us that the gnats were worse down there. A set up steps led down the cliff to a circular boardwalk which led out into the bog and back. The gnats were not too bad. A cuckoo was calling but was some distance away. We were right under the phone wires here but thought we might get better views from up the top so we climbed back up the steps and were immediately rewarded with a roding woodcock.
The other party had gone and we soon found out why. As we waited for the sun to set clouds of bugs appeared and before long it felt like we were being eaten alive. They were all over our clothes, our faces and in our hair. I must have inhaled lots! Even cigarette smoke wouldn’t keep them at bay. Regrettably we decided we couldn’t stay and trudged back along the cliff trying to outpace the swarms. We stopped briefly to admire the sunset, magnificent as always in this part of Norfolk, then went back to the car and headed for Sandringham woods.
Sandringham Woods
Back past the Wolferton Triangle, over the A149 and into Sandringham woods we passed half a dozen cars on the roadside but decided that wasn’t the place marked in our book so drove round, all the time worrying that it would get dark too quick. We couldn’t find the other place so headed back and parked by the other cars. At this point phone wires cut through the woods so we headed along the path beneath them to where some birders were gathered, including the small party missing from the Bog who had also fled from the hungry swarms!
More roding woodcocks were seen circling, making and high pitch calls and beating their wings. We could faintly hear the churring of a nightjar over the loud noise from the nearby A149. One of the party gave us a tip about cupping our hands to our ears. The effect was dramatic, amplifying the churring many times whilst blocking out the road noise. This churring noise of the nightjar is the most amazing sound and just seems to go on and on.
It wasn’t long before a nightjar was spotted in the air. Then another woodcock, which landed some distance away but was just visible in the gloom and the mist which was appearing from nowhere. Again we saw the nightjar, and again and again, all the time that amazing churring loud in our ears.
With the very last of the light we walked back through the mist to the car whilst we could still see where we were going, and a small bat flew over us. We were amazed to find it was 10pm. What a great evening! Next time we go armed with insect repellent!!
Kay & Col
