Farnham Heath Nightjar Walk (14 June 2026)
25 people enjoyed another successful Nightjar Walk at Farnham Heath RSPB. This would not have been possible without Anna Cronin, their Volunteer Coordinator, who once again gave up her evening to open-up the car park and toilets, give us an introduction and accompany us around. She loves Nightjars but it was still very kind of her!
Each year we visit the spectacle is slightly different, largely governed by the weather conditions. This time the evening was still and overcast so the Nightjars almost continuous churring songs and ‘krruit’ flight calls carried particularly well and surrounded us in all directions. Collins describes the song as “a far-carrying hard reel…which, with only brief pauses, carries on ‘in two gears’ for hours on end, errrrrrrurrrrrrrr-urrrrrerrrrrrrr…” We certainly heard that and at one point I looked around, to see everyone cupping their ears with their hands to better take in the sounds. Anna and I think that we heard and saw at least 5 males displaying over the east side of the reserve. We also spotted birds perched up on horizontal branches on the Scots Pines. A brighter sky might have given better views of them flying low against the vegetation but the sounds and views as they were silhouetted against the evening sky, often chasing each other, were magical. Occasionally the flashes of their white wing patches were visible.
Earlier, our evening had begun in the car park as we waited for everyone to arrive and were entertained by Rabbits, Mistle Thrushes and Blackbirds in the neighbouring field. Our pre-walk around the west side of the reserve was rather quiet although we did spot Goldcrest, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and a Nuthatch in the Scots Pine near the car park, Long-tailed Tits, Chiffchaff and Willow Warblers in the Silver Birch scrub and Common Whitethroat in the bramble patches. By the pond we added Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers. Once up on the sandy ride overlooking the east side of the reserve, where we waited for dusk to fall and the Nightjars to appear, a few more heathland species were found. Two Woodlarks were seen on dead pine branches, distinguished by their short tails, a couple of male Stonechats perched up, and a Dartford Warbler was heard and seen in the low birch saplings.
There was some reluctance to leave our viewpoint even though it was well after 10pm. While there was a glimmer of light many would have liked to stay and catch that one last glimpse or listen to the unique song reverberating out into the night; me among them!
by Rebecca Dunne
Minimum Species: Blackbird, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chiffchaff, Crossbill (2 seen by John S), Dartford Warbler, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Grey Heron, Linnet, Long-tailed Tit, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Mistle Thrush, Nuthatch, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Stonechat, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodlark, Woodpigeon, Wren (and I think someone mentioned hearing Redstart?).