And a Nightingale sang....well almost!

Photos:

Nightingale at Paxton Pits

16^th April 

This evening I was driving for work away again tomorrow so I headed over to Paxton Pits for a couple of hours late evening. Although sunny, the weather was bitterlky cold and windy and consequently the place seemed subdued compared to previous visits at this time of year. I started wandering up the Heron Trail where loads of Blackcaps and Willow Warblers were singing but most either softly or sub-songs. I noticed a small bird grubbing around nr the base of a bramble patch next to a couple of bushes and realised it was a Nightingale! I watched this bird for around 20 minutes – it would grub around in the open for literally seconds before flying back into cover and then repeat the process a minute or so later. 

There were lots of Grey Herons and Cormorants on nests – all of the herons seemed to have young. Wandering further along the path there was no sound at all from any Nightingales and, despite several peripheral glimpses of my quarry, I only saw one further bird briefly dash across a clearing. I did hear some Common Terns calling but couldn’t figure out where they were flying round. A couple of Great Spotted Woodpeckers played kiss chase with a Treecreeper near by and 3 yaffling Green Woodpeckers. 

Walking back to the car I finally heard a Nightingale burst into song – in the place I least expected it, the mound next to the car park. I then twigged (dozy me) that the terns were probably on the sailing lake so I walked around there. There is a Black-headed Gulls colony on the islands here and around 400 birds were in residence – I trawled through them looking for a Med without success but did find 4 Common Terns. 

Next I headed over to Diddington again. By now the weather was threatening rain, it was much colder and very gloomy. There were few large gulls around though 14 more Common Terns were flying around Diddington Pit and I also heard another 3 yaffling Green Woodies. In a field by the car park were a pair of Red-legged Partridges and a couple of Brown Hares. I had thought about staying for owls but the weather got the better of me and I retreated back to my hotel.