HB Sauce

Another sunday BF meet partaken by a mere 5 hardy souls. This time myself Mike, Michael, Mark & John had an extremely productive day. We started with a spot of raptor watching from the raptor watchpoint (funny that!). We quickly managed Buzzard, Kestrel and a super distant Goshawk. Around the watchpoint a Garden Warbler sang lustily and showed very well but there was an absense of the expected Tree Pipit. Some distant Jays were mobbing a Buzzard perched up across the valley. We grew bored and descended to the valley floor to try a different angle. Once here we quickly managed to see a wing-clapping Honey Buzzard over the forest along with a very brief Redstart seen by Mark (who had his eyes peeled all day). A massive Goshawk powered over the forest and after being joined by Garry Taylor and Gareth Picton we got further views of the Honey Buzzard and a distant Kestrel. Mid-afternoon we retired to the shadier surrounds of Hilla Green where Bullfinch, Kingfisher, Spotted Flycatcher, Dipper and Grey Wagtail showed their pretty little selves. At this point John and Michael headed back to the banks of the humber whilst Mark, Mike and myself gorged on sunday dinners whilst waiting for it to get dark. We arrived up at the nightjar site at 9.20 thinking we had nearly an hour before they showed. A tree pipit started contact calling in the tree nearest and as I was looking at it a male Nightjar flew through my bins view, landing 15 metres away out of view before churring quietly. Very soon we had amazing views of 2 Nightjars flying together over our heads and sat on posts a further male started churring and then displaying. Lots of wing clapping was seen and calling in flight. Nightjars are mint!! As we watched about 10 Woodcock flew over and a couple of Pipistrelles buzzed about. There really is a great atmosphere when watching birds at night. A great day.