Last night was our first Nightjar walk of two this summer (the second being July 4^th so get booking now) which was incredible and packed with all kinds of wildlife goodies. The tame Arne car park Fox at the start was a treat if not a little disconcerting that it quite happily feeds out of people’s hands. Up on Middlebere a Barn Owl was hunting back and fourth across the channel, at one point hunting just below us from the viewpoint. In the Middlebere Channel 2 Spoonbill were roosting and Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Curlew and a Green Sandpiper were all present. Then the Nightjar spectacle began with birds calling all around and we even got some nice scope views in between birds flying past us. Two Glow Worms were found in the heather on the way back and the icing on the cake was seeing Saturn’s rings really clearly through the scope, something I’ve never seen or done before and made me feel like a real kid. Juvenile Tawny Owl were calling in the car park upon our return too. There was some early signs of wader movement over the last 24 hours too with a Wood Sandpiper and 2 Little Ringed Plover on RSPB Lytchett Fields, along with 20 Black-tailed Godwit, 15+ Redshank and 15+ Lapwing. Out in the bay 23 Curlew was a big increase from the last few days and an adult Yellow-legged Gull was present. On the Brownsea lagoon 4 Knot, including a summer plumaged bird dropped in for a short time along with a Common Sandpiper. A Marsh Harrier was seen out hunting across Hartland/Middlebere.

Nightjar Walk – Arne RSPB Reserve – Nick Mudge