Page 13 - Natural World Summer 2018

I t’s warm. Unusually
Experience it for yourself
The Wildlife Trusts manage
many heathland nature reserves
that are home to the haunting
nightjar: Chobham Common and
Wisley and Ockham Commons
and Chatley Heath (Surrey);
Higher Hyde Heath (Dorset);
Roydon Common anGdsdGjryimgdsstvoyng
Warren (Norfolk); sSdtyravwgybdegrsrvysHdvill clapping and churring before you
sdugsdvdsv
20 species of dragonfly as
warm, even for a well as lizards, newts and
summer night in July. the occasional rarity like last
Above the peat bogs, year’s pectoral sandpiper
heathland and pine copses that was eventually driven
of Thursley Common a full o by a swooping Merlin.
moon has risen, casting a On local advice, I turn
ghostly glow over this right, still wheeling over the
delightful Surrey nature Frank Gardner boardwalk and heading for
reserve just o the A3. is on Instagram a clump of Scots pines. This
at frankgardner_ seems like a good time to
The last of the day visitors nature. His latest check what I’m supposed
have returned to their cars novel, Ultimatum, to be listening out for. I
and by 9.30pm I have the is out now.
place to myself, leaving me take out my phone, open
alone to pursue a lifelong up my Collins Bird Guide
ambition: to see a nightjar in the wild app and type in ‘European nightjar’
in Britain. These curious, nocturnal, (as opposed to the related Nubian,
highly camouflaged birds have long Egyptian and Red-necked species
fascinated me and historically, they that occur on the Continent). I click
have attracted legends. One of these on the audio button and up comes
is that they feed from the teats of the churring. I memorise it and
sleeping goats, earning them the old switch o the phone.
English nickname of ‘goatsucker’. And it continues. From somewhere,
They also have an unmistakable out there in the darkness, the
signature call, known as a ‘churring’, a churring has started up. Yes! I’m in
strange, low vibrating sound that I’m luck. As quietly as possible, I make
my way by moonlight towards the
I keep very pine trees. The noise is loud now;
still and it seems to reverberate all around
scan the me, electrifying the night-time
atmosphere. I keep very still and
scan the night sky where the pine
branches lie against the deep purple
night sky sky and the silver moon. Suddenly
there is a clapping sound followed
told can still be heard on summer by the swish of beating wings. There,
nights like this across the heathlands silhouetted just yards from where I
of Britain. am, a pair of nightjar rears up into the
The wooden planks of the air, chasing moths with their sharp,
boardwalk creak and groan as I pointed wings, before vanishing o
trundle across it in my wheelchair. into the night.
Thursley Common is a National And yet the churring continues.
Nature Reserve comprising 325 I scan the branches and then I
hectares of peat bog and woodland see it, halfway up a tree, perfectly
with winding trails and nearly a mile silhouetted against the summer
of raised boardwalk to take you over moon. I raise my camera for a chance
the otherwise impassible marshes. shot but immediately it’s up and o .
By day I have had great views of Yet I’m overwhelmed by a sense of
stonechats here, perching on isolated triumph: I have seen my first British
branches. The reserve harbours over nightjar! DAVID TIPLING/2020VISION
Heath (Notts); Cors Bodgynydd (N Many
Wales); and GreenhamCommon & Wildlife Trusts
Snelsmore Common (Berks). run nightjar
events and have
Arrive before dusk on a warm, wheelchair
dry evening in June or July and accessible
find a spot with open skies. Keep nature reserves.
your ears open: you’ll hear the wing ■ Find out more:
https://wtru.st/access
see them!
SUMMER 2018 NATURAL WORLD 13