Widnes Railway station may have famously inspired 'Homeward Bound, but a couple of hours at Nercwys last night would have set Simon & Garfunkel off in a rendition of the Sound of Silence.
After a blank last year for Nightjars, cautious optimism was the order of the evening, but as night fell a distant calling Little Owl was the best SS, Usain Duckers and I could muster.
It looks like the Goatsuckers have deserted this area now and the only possibility for a reasonably local churring male looks to be either Fenn's Moss or the new area of heath on Bickerton Hill...
Until later.
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I was at Nercwys myself last night! Were you with the group of 3 chaps or on your own? I was the guy in the Chester FC hat.
ReplyDeleteSuch a shame that there was nothing around. I know nightjars were getting harder to find each year but I was amazed no woodcocks were about. At least my test using SOS cream worked to keep the midges off!
Hi, Yes that was me - good to meet you and to put a face to a name!
ReplyDeleteIt was a same there was nothing around, going to try Fenn's Moss soon.
We didn't see any Woodcocks either - a big surprise, although maybe numbers are down after last winter.
Cheers, Paul.
Aha, nice meeting you too Paul! You're probably spot on about the hard winter as I can't see any other reason why no woodcocks would be about, it's still great habitat for them. I can't help thinking that all the work done at Nercwys has been to the detriment of the nightjars. That new path goes right through the area where I have seen them churring from in the past, surely it is disturbance they don't need with walkers going through there all the time?
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