Nightjars at Minsmere .......................................................... Paul Gowen

Paul Gowen Marsh Harrier

Nightjars at Minsmere

Friday, 15th June 2018 Leader: Paul Gowen

Seven members joined the leader on the annual Nightjar evening at Minsmere in June. It was good to see some new faces in addition to SOG Chairman Gi. The preamble before the Nightjars was a slow walk to Island Mere and Bittern hides, there unusually being little of interest on the Scrapes. The group headed up along the track to the top of Whin Hill and then proceeded down to Island Mere. On the way a Green Woodpecker played hide and seek on a telegraph pole and we heard Whitethroat in the bushes. We were able to spot Bittern, Marsh Harrier, Barn Owl, Cuckoo and Hobby amongst others but were all unable to locate the Savi’s Warbler that continued to reel throughout our stay in Island Mere Hide just as did the two birds on the previous year’s trip. There were quite a few mosquitoes through the wood but we briefly stopped at Bittern Hide when a birder with binoculars said there was a raptor on a bush outside the hide. We set up scopes and saw it was a lovely Marsh Harrier and the birder was grateful for closer views in the scope. With the weather fine, if a little breezy, the walk up to the heath for the Nightjars was pleasant and the first Nightjars were heard calling at 21:15, earlier than usual. Birds were heard calling intermittently up until 22:00 at which time a bird flew past the group who were all becoming annoyed by the mosquito/midges that filled the air as the breeze dissipated. There seems to be a definite decline in the Nightjar numbers in the Westleton/Minsmere area based upon the last five years of this SOG field trip, let’s hope for better things in 2019. Also missing this year were the Glow-worms but we did hear a distant Stone Curlew.