16/07 Greenham Common: Sandleford Heath

Location: Greenham Common: Sandleford Heath

Session: 16-Jul-2015 20:00 to 22:45 hours
Weather: Warm clear
Present: JL, IW, DL, JPM, RJC
Nets: Two 12m nets set one each side of the track to Bunker’s Farm from 21:00 to 22:30 hours
Lure: Audio: Nightjar churring and clapping display at each nets set playing intermittently. A full size cut out model of a nightjar was placed on a bush near the eastern net; removed about half an hour before the end of the session.
Capture 1: Adult Male Nightjar, a Pipistrelle bat also captured and released.

Male Nightjar (IW)

Male Nightjar (IW)

Notes: The Xtrail was stationed about 2/3rd along the track towards Bunker’s Farm where one to two territories had been located on a previous visit. 12m nets were erected: one to the east of the track about 100m in and one to the west of the track about 50m on to the heath. Churring audios were switched on at about 21:00hrs. The first response a male nightjar swooping back and forth over the east net and occasionally perching and churring. Eventually in became entangled in the top shelf of the net but escaped as we got near. The calls were paused for a short while and then started again. This time the western net had the first response when a male began flying above the net; later joined by another (female) bird. A male also return over the eastern net and was joined by a female, who once dropped into a likely nesting site. After a few periods of play it was decided to take the nets down at about 10:15. On approaching the eastern net, unseen a male nightjar had been captured; a good rewarding end to the evening.

At least two territories(two pairs) exist one each side of the Bunker’s Farm track with a possible third male churring to the north east. One woodcock was seen briefly.