A bird glimpsed on a track at St. Mary’s on the morning of 27 th was later identified from a photo as a Nightjar.It was thought to have left the area. I arrived in the afternoon in the hope of finding the bird had perhaps roosted among the trees and bushes surrounding the wetland area. My hunch was right as I located the Nightjar dozing on bare ground under a small bush.
On seeing me it flew and could not be found. I wondered if it might return to it’s chosen roost site and indeed it had when I checked there once more. It did fly however once again, as a lady had unwittingly flushed it. Gladly though, it once again came back to the exact same spot.
I called a few locals and put out the news of what is the third area record of the species in only the past decade. It remained under the bush affording superb views to the small assembled crowd.
The Nightjar was I thought a juvenile or female bird showing no white on the lower throat as in the male and no white in the wings or tail corners when in flight. The bird appeared to depart that evening despite wet conditions.
A.S.Jack