A Wild Nightjar Chase

Friday 6th June. 20:30 to 22:25.

"Local Birding Tours For Local People" was up and running again last Friday, for a Nightjar evening on Cannock Chase. Arranged with a group of Bird Forum members, including fellow bloggers Kay and Max from Brightside Birding, and Mr Reg Telescope from Eye to the Telescope.

I wouldn't mind making a career out of this tour guiding mullarkey. Trouble is, after two expeditions now, I'm already running out of locations in Staffordshire for our specialities!

Over the course of the evening we managed:

2 (possibly a third) Nightjar
1 roding Woodcock
2 Cuckoo
1 Spotted Flycatcher
1 Tree Pipit

The anticipation of waiting for the sun to go down and for the nocturnal birds to appear always makes for a great experience. For most people there, Nightjar and Woodcock were lifers, so that made it all worthwhile.

Does anyone know what's happening these days, regarding how well publicised Nightjar locations are? In the old days, before money was spent on pagers and birdguides.com, Nightjar spots on the Chase used to be mentioned on Birdline Midlands. For fear of getting e-lynched by the mafia, that's as much detail as I'll go into this time.