It was a very breezy and cloudy evening in the Forest of Dean and despite the forecast the wind didn’t drop during the evening. So, we were a little anxious that this may not be good weather for nightjar spotting. We arrived at the site between Haywood and Edgehills Plantations and just a few birds could be heard above the noise of the rustling trees; a tree pipit, song thrush, blackbird and dunnock. However, at 21.43 we heard our first nightjars churring, at least two birds on separate sides of the path. It wasn’t long before we had a tantalisingly brief glimpse of one fly over us. We picked out a different call which turned out to be the nightjar’s flight call, but if the bird didn’t get above the treeline the light was too poor to see it. Patience was rewarded with many later flyovers, with birds sometimes hovering bedside us. At 22.30 it was too dark to continue so we made our way back to the cars.
Some of the party had possible distant sightings of woodcock, but the trip was all about nightjars and they didn’t disappoint. So, no bird list this time and I doubt anybody managed photos in the light of dusk.