Nightjars at Beaulieu Road

A mild evening with some cloud. Highlights were hearing Nightjar, Snipe, Woodcock and young Tawny Owls, seeing Woodcock roding and hearing a Marsh Frog.

We met at Shatterford car park and walked down the path running parallel with the railway. Birds were still active as it was well before dark. House Martins were hawking insects low over some puddles on the path. A few Meadow Pipits were singing in the distance and a Heron flew by quite high up. We passed a male Stonechat who sang and posed on the tops of the young conifers. We noticed a couple of Heath-spotted Orchid beside the path – a fairly common orchid on the New Forest acid grasslands. As we passed a pool beside a wooden bridge a Marsh Frog sang once – a kind of gargling laugh!
We walked round in front of Denny Wood Inclosure by Woodfidley Passage and passed the last of the singing birds of the evening. Robins, Wrens, Blackbird and Song Thrushes sang and Willow Warbler called. As we approached the open grassy area we saw 2 Fallow Deer feeding. They saw us and moved off.
The Nightjars usually sing from a particular area, so we got into position and waited. Maureen and Rob were the first to ear a Nightjar singing, quite quietly, at about 9.30pm. We moved a bit closer to the sound and waited again. A Woodcock flew over, doing its evening flight display called roding. By 10pm 2 Nightjars were singing quite close, but they were not moving about, so we didn’t see them at all. They were accompanied by roding Woodcocks, drumming Snipe and squeaking young Tawny Owls. Altogether a wonderful night-time orchestra.
Simon Curson