Nightjars

[Lutra Lutra 611]

Lutra, you seem a pucka chap and I wish you luck in finding someone to accompany you. I am a tad too far north to be of any use but if I am ever in your neck of the woods, which I sometimes am I would love to have a look out with you. Never seen a Nightjar although have ticked off Woodlark and have had plenty of Woodcock in the hand so to speak !

Best of luck.

 

on Bell

Hello Bell, of course you are always welcome if you are in this vicinity, and you would love it because there is some wonderful activity on a good evening. The location is a place so close to my heart as I have been going to the place in question since I was around 13 years in age. Life has flown by but has been very good at times. Many years back I used to bolt foxes for a famous Biologist so he could radio tag certain foxes and learn more about their behaviour and about dispersal in litters. He was and still is a great man and he loved to see terriers work and was totally unbiased towards hunting. 'That's how life should work, working together instead of the Antis 1 sided views about hunting.

[Lutra Lutra 611]

 

 

 

Omanyra,

I was somewhat saddened to hear the unfortunate news about your friend finding himself in deep water regarding the Nighjar situation.However, the outcome of the situation for wrongful arrest and being able to buy certain camera gear with the compensation made me giggle inside.It is just like the badger situation, about its sett being protected. You can be prosecuted for willful disturbance if you are in the vicinity of certain protected species, but R.S.P.B can climb to nests, ring them and do all types. ok I agree that certain things need to be done for scientific reasons but what about some of us guys who perhaps know far more about certain birds than they will ever know. There was a well known ologist who climbed to a Sparrow hawks Eyrie, took a wrong footing, fell 25 ft and broke his neck. The fall did killed him.For sure some of the R.S.P.B would have been happy, what a sick bunch.....

I've got Colins book here....

Do you mean Colin Watson? Have you read any of Desmond Nethersole Thompsons books?

 

Yes. Snow bunting.

I also have The golden eagle and sea eagle by J Whittaker, the journal of gerald tomkinson, as well as others. I collect books. especially rare, small batched ltd editions.

I rate Desmond up there with the best of Authors and the Snow Bunting is a good book. I collect all types of books, but of course mainly natural history, Ornithology and hunting books. I also ,like yourself collect 1st, rare editions. My brother knows Jim Whitaker of Peregrine books but i've never met him. Do you know him? One book you will know about is Desmonds Crossbill book which I like, but haven't read it yet. Have you heard of a guy called John Loft? He's been a Falconer all his life but I don't know if he is still alive nowadays; if he is alive he will surely be an old chap now. He lived in Louth, Lincolnshire and he trained and flew the difficult Sparrow hawk. I used to exchange letters with him because of my interest in the Spars. He has wrote a good book called A Merlin for Me and the 1st edition is difficult to obtain.I could talk books all day long, but there isn't anything better than practical.I'd be interested to hear what other rare books you have in your collection. Some of the best books I have are by the sporting Author Brian Martin and the artist Richard Robjent. However, they are very expensive but are an investment. Once again gone off the topic of the original post.

[gnipper 6,435]

 

 

Only ever seen two nightjars in my life and I held both,one I was picking firewood and picked one up lol the second was in Spain a bigger one, I was lamping rabbits and it layed there so I picked it up and had a look at it, my favourite bird, hope you find them lutra atb AT

 

Funnily enough,I have only ever seen one and that must have been close to 50 years ago. What surprises me though the bird was sitting on the floor on the edge of a common and I was able to pick it up, it made no attempt to fly away. This must have been around June or July because we had dammed a stream for a swimming hole and were having a day there and a picnic. However the only trees anywhere near to where I found it was a pine wind break for the rugby pitch about half a mile away.

 

TC

my first one was on ainsdale beach near southport,I was collecting wood for a fire In the dunes,I picked a stick up but it was soft as anything, when I looked it had eyes lol I shit at first then realised I had a nightjar in my hand and was stunned, I released it straight away and was always gutted I didn't give it a closer inspection, the second I spotted on the lamp while rabbiting over in Spain, this was twice the size of the first one I'd held, I gave my mate the lamp to shine on it and walked around the back of it and picked it up, I've still got some of it's tail feathers somewhere lol it left them in my hand when it escaped lol atb AT

There's worse things to pick up on that beach

[bell 3,591]

 

Lutra, you seem a pucka chap and I wish you luck in finding someone to accompany you. I am a tad too far north to be of any use but if I am ever in your neck of the woods, which I sometimes am I would love to have a look out with you. Never seen a Nightjar although have ticked off Woodlark and have had plenty of Woodcock in the hand so to speak !

Best of luck.

on Bell

 

Hello Bell, of course you are always welcome if you are in this vicinity, and you would love it because there is some wonderful activity on a good evening. The location is a place so close to my heart as I have been going to the place in question since I was around 13 years in age. Life has flown by but has been very good at times. Many years back I used to bolt foxes for a famous Biologist so he could radio tag certain foxes and learn more about their behaviour and about dispersal in litters. He was and still is a great man and he loved to see terriers work and was totally unbiased towards hunting. 'That's how life should work, working together instead of the Antis 1 sided views about hunting.

Thank you Lutra. I follow a chap on Facebook who has been trapping woodcock in Wales and satellite tagging them, makes interesting reading, not only the number he traps in a fairly small area but how true they are to a specific field.

Bell

[Omanyra 2,518]

Hi matie

My main aim is to photograph them, that's what I do...green woodpecker too on my list to get

Sparrow hawks I love to get photos of

When I did taxidermy sparrow hawks were always a favourite

Edited October 7, 2015 by Omanyra

[Lutra Lutra 611]

 

 

Lutra, you seem a pucka chap and I wish you luck in finding someone to accompany you. I am a tad too far north to be of any use but if I am ever in your neck of the woods, which I sometimes am I would love to have a look out with you. Never seen a Nightjar although have ticked off Woodlark and have had plenty of Woodcock in the hand so to speak !

Best of luck.

on Bell

Hello Bell, of course you are always welcome if you are in this vicinity, and you would love it because there is some wonderful activity on a good evening. The location is a place so close to my heart as I have been going to the place in question since I was around 13 years in age. Life has flown by but has been very good at times. Many years back I used to bolt foxes for a famous Biologist so he could radio tag certain foxes and learn more about their behaviour and about dispersal in litters. He was and still is a great man and he loved to see terriers work and was totally unbiased towards hunting. 'That's how life should work, working together instead of the Antis 1 sided views about hunting.

Thank you Lutra. I follow a chap on Facebook who has been trapping woodcock in Wales and satellite tagging them, makes interesting reading, not only the number he traps in a fairly small area but how true they are to a specific field.

Bell

My brother was once witness to see a female carrying 2 youngsters between her thighs, i've never been so lucky!A Dr Hirons did considerble work on Radio tagging Woodcock in Derbyshire for many years.

[Lutra Lutra 611]

Lutra, you seem a pucka chap and I wish you luck in finding someone to accompany you. I am a tad too far north to be of any use but if I am ever in your neck of the woods, which I sometimes am I would love to have a look out with you. Never seen a Nightjar although have ticked off Woodlark and have had plenty of Woodcock in the hand so to speak !

Best of luck.

 

Bell

Bell, i'm not a Twitcher by any stretch of the imagination, but just love to watch and study birds in their natural environment. It is another form of hunting, just like looking for foxes I suppose. It is wonderful when certain birds are located but of course one has to bear in mnd the ever so strict laws wtith the wilful disturbance act, does that come under the Wildlife and Countryside act 1981 or has certain amendments come into force?In my opinion that law is the most draconian law ever to become law in this country. You have to prove your innocense being presumed guilty beforehand. Perhaps someone with more knowledge could enlighten me.I think it is remarkable that dogs, cars and certin implements can be seized through being in the persue of Hares.Anyway it's always nice to see a rear bird, but when hordes of people turn up with Binoculars, Telescopes etc is that classed has disturbance, or does itjust implie when the bird is breedig? Regarding Hares however, I think the travelllers have done alot of damage as a Police officer told me sometime back.Apologies i'm digressing again.I located a Nightjars nest predated upon by a old Boar badger. Sometime after the badger had met it's untimely demise on a busy country road.

Edited October 29, 2015 by Lutra Lutra

[Lutra Lutra 611]

Too many badgers about here, far too many

Totally agree Katchum.