Jar on a Log

Took these images at the beginning of the month :-

Re-edited with free software from 'Picnic'

Jar nest with 2

 Took this image a week or so later.... after the downpours......

Jar nest with 2 floating....

 Watched these marvelous creatures at 3 NE locations during 2011, although the year ended, as we can see on a rather damp note.....

Looking forward to spending more time in their company in 2012.

Dayjar

We called in passing at a forest location hoping to catch up with Woodlark - a very rare species in the north east of England, it was a half hearted attempt, we were travelling home & it was looking like a stop too many, however we did connect, but sadly only got a few quick glimpses of a single bird over very rough terrain.....

We packed in somewhat frustrated & decided to find a place to eat before driving back.  

Lady luck was certainly on our side when we discovered a Nightjar (or should it be dayjar ?) literally yards away from the edge of our picnic rug !!

At first we thought it was merely a log, but it flitted up & perched superbly in open view.

 

Im pretty sure it must have been drawn in due to a certain person waving the white hand wipes about to get rid of the flies !!!

A very nice surprise indeed.

Show Starter

A couple of trips to Hamsterley between the downpours at the start of the week:-
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As soon as this forest edge Tawny moved off, the show began & the first male Nightjar appeared in good light - sadly, i fluffed all the photo opportubities, but the birds put on a superb display, 4 males, 2 females & at least 2 fledged juvs. (different size, shape & weak flyers)
Earliest i heard churring was 8:10pm - although this burst may have been in responce to the prescence of a Jay near the nest area.

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#Clip, male Nightjar circling above us, moves off contact calling "goo-ick" & flies on, persued by a fledged juvenile.

Nightjar going away

# Camera phone image of 1 going past 15' away - taken well after the light had gone @ 10:40pm

A couple of fledged juvenile Nighjars were flying around , occasionally begging, with one crash landing into a tree !
Also begging were fledged Woodcock young ( couple of ads still roding )trailing adults & Green Woodpecker with fledged young too:-

One Nest site was close to the track :-

Fragment of hatched Njar egg

Couple of jars

We went West towards the end of the day.



Barnie I

Chanced upon this Barn Owl just outside his large Ash cavity.
Timed it perfectly, as we scoped from range, he wing stretched, gradually becoming more alert, taking in the movement & sounds around him, before treating us to a fly past as he went out to hunt.


Barnie II
Easy pickings at present.
Tractors & trailers rushed through fields taking the first cut of silage off as the dark sky loomed & a rumble of thunder echoed down from further up the dale.



Didnt see a car on this quiet road, unfortunately this Pheasant poult had.

We had a brief drive round, with a fine female Merlin dashing across in front of us, landing on a rock.
Other bits & bobs included Tree Pipit, Grey Partridge, Curlew, Garden Warbler, Snipe, Redstart, Woodcock.
A distant Cuckoo on top of a plantation could be heard clearly over a great distance in the calm quiet moorland evening & a juvvy Stonechat zipped into its roost.
A few heavy spots of rain never came to much,
so it was on to the main course . . .

Last visit had drawn a complete blank,
not a sniff from a Nightjar

We were up the forest in good time for the 20 min walk up the hill to the Goatsucker site
a couple of Woodcock had set out on their strange roding flights high over the canopy heading out across the open rushy ground.
3 good size leverets raced along in front of us showing us the way.

As the evening grew quieter, we moved Heel & toe along the stoney forest road.
Woodcock were all around
As we approached the largest forest clearing at @ 21:45, expecting a 10-15 min wait,
we were simply gob-smacked to see a stunning male Nightjar fly up from feet away from the edge of the roadway, floating away, only to veer round a Spruce, relanding on a log yards away !

Amazing !

We had a Nighjar within our sights & it was on the deck in good light ! (another of this years challenges safely out of the way !)

( before any eyebrows raise at what appears to be a "flushed" Schedule 1 breeder - we we had our feet firmly on the hard track when the bird sprang up ;-) )

Words dont seem to be enough to describe the next hour or so

Lots of close range fly-bys, including a good look at the female too
male churring openly at least 6 times


Male Nightjar churring
Very animated as he sang, realy chucking his head about & flicking his tail open as he momentarily paused between bursts.

Excellent watching his flutter into position whilst landing
( hand held digi-scoped doesnt do it justice - it was still decent light )

Certainly my best Nightjar encounter & The Herons "best ever UK views".