Ben Locke

🌙🫙 they’re back! Just had my first nightjar sighting of the year. I think it’s a couple of days earlier than Glos records (29th I believe). #glosbirds

🌙🫙 #glosbirds

Nightjars pretending to be sticks. It took me far longer than it should have done to notice the second bird 🌙🫙 #GlosBirds

@radareggleton 😂 not this time. Camera working again 🙂

@Ben909 I guess this is a phone shot 😁👍

Nightjar in the Forest of Dean 🌙🫙 #GlosBirds

@AllanChard Pretty stable numbers here for years really.

@Ben909 Nice one Ben, many there this year ?

A pair of recently fledged young nightjar trying to keep cool in a patch of shade in the Forest of Dean this afternoon. 🌙🫙 #glosbirds

@AlanVickers18 👍

@Ben909 Heard and seen Ben ?

Jars are back! 🌙🫙#GlosBirds

@bjh_ip @theantlers @okkervilriver @Bristol_Beacon Agreed, an amazing performance. That version of Kettering was incredible. @theantlers how about a live album of just Peter and guitar? @bjh_ip Hope you don't mind, pinched a copy of your photo, cos it's got me and my good friend in it 😁

Show w/ @theantlers & @okkervilriver at @Bristol_Beacon = highlight of year. Stripped back solos worked 💯 w/ superior acoustics. Spine-tingly. Will favs: Stone/Monster. Pete’s voice! Kettering into Director (😭) as well as Shiva/Dog to Sleep. ❤️🙏

dodgy but obligatory photo of the aurora from the forest of dean last night

@IreneBoston2 Thanks for the mention Irene 👍 All credit for sound related content on that site goes to my friend, Hugh. That's a nice recording. I'd guess the burbling is a male, but for added doubt, there's a simultaneous flight call which also sounds like a male call. Were there 2 males?

I've always understood that sound to be interaction, presumably between the pair. There's a brilliant page of different NJ calls with explanations on @Ben909 Forest of Dean Nightjar project website forestnightjars.co.uk/vocalisations/

@IreneBoston2 I think about 50% of nests found have fledged which is more or less normal for here

Lovely shot and shows how well camouflaged they can be, even at the fluffy stage. Has it been a good breeding season for you? Ours has been fairly grim. I think May’s poor weather scuppered a lot of first brood attempts.

Still at least 1 active nightjar nest in the FOD. 2 chicks in this pic. No more nest searching this year - prob won't resist looking for roosting birds b4 they leave though. The jars will be here a bit longer yet but much quieter, and active for shorter periods. #GlosBirds

@AllanChard I believe so but it's often hard to tell. None of them were abdnoned due to the rain, etc.

@Ben909 Were the failures the result of predation ?

😮😶😮 trail-cam pic from one of this years #nightjar nests in the Forest of Dean. #GlosBirds

@AllanChard I'd have to look back at my records for an exact number, but 13 nests, roughly 50% of which made it to fledging.

@Ben909 Fantastic ! How many chicks have you seen this year ?

@FatherG3965727 No. Some second brood nests are still active. They're quieter now than earlier in the season and the period of activity is shorter but they're still here for a bit longer. I expect those that didn't breed might think about leaving earlier than others, but not sure by how much.

@Ben909 Will they have gone yet Ben?

This should be quite an easy one? Spot the Nightjar 🌙🫙 #GlosBirds