Monday, June 19, 2006
Nightjar in London
Eventually got down to see the Nightjar in London on Saturday night! This star performing bird has been present in Teddington, a suburb of south-west London, since early June at least. Remarkable in many ways, the bird is out of habitat and extremely confiding as it hawks up and down a fairly busy street under lamp posts. It churrs and utters frog-like calls from roads signs, garden trees and roof tops and chases cars and dive-bombs cyclists. It almost perched on my head! It was difficult to leave knowing that this was probably a unique chance to observe this nocturnal bird in such a setting. Just made the last tube home!
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2 comments:
I live in Walthamstow at the opposite end of London and recently returned home from work to see what I thought was a dead bird on the roof of my shed at the bottom of the garden. However when I looked through my binoculars, I saw that it was a nightjar in classic motionless, closed eyed position. Could this possibly be the next species slowly moving into town?
This is a very intersting record Ben. You should submit it to the local recorder, Andrew Self, andrewself@lineone.net
See also the London Birders wiki for adding this sighting:
http://editthis.info/londonbirders/LatestNews
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