Nightingales; "What they lack in appearance, they make up for in song" said Sir David Attenborough; and as usual he was not wrong.
These small birds have an astonishingly rich repertoire, and are able to produce over 1000 different sounds, compared with just 340 by skylarks and about 100 by blackbirds. This is because the part of the brain responsible for creating sound is bigger in nightingales than in most other birds. But our UK nightingales are in serious decline, with the population falling by 90% in the last 50 years.
In Sussex however, they do still sing, and we love nothing more than to celebrate spring with them at RSPB Pulborough Brooks and RSPB Pagham Harbour.
Through night time safaris and guided walks, we will be helping you get close to these enigmatic creatures while they are at their most vocal on our reserves, but spaces are filling up fast - and from our Trip Advisor reviews you can see why!
“Forget Berkely Square! Just visit Pulborough Brooks nature reserve. We heard five singing during a two hour walk around and saw a couple too. Sight of a tree creeper feeding babies at a nest in atree crevice was also magical.”
“Knowledgeable staff, especially welcome on the evening Nightingale ramble, to help you identify what you can see and hear and a cafe serving hot drinks to warm you up afterwards! We only stopped off originally as we were staying nearby but we went back again specifically to attend the special evening event.”
“They will advise on the best areas to hear or see different birds and other wildlife. Very often, volunteers will have "field viewers" set up in hides so that visitors can observe the birds. A memorable experience is to hear Nightingales singing - truly a spine tingling!”
This year, we have teamed up with a whole host of other wildlife organisations to become part of the UK's first National Nightingale Festival, and there are events on offer around the country. Make sure you hear a nightingale sing near you this spring!
Live outside Sussex and daunted by the distance?
Why not make a weekend of it by staying with the RSPB's corporate partner, the Caravan and Motorhome Club, at their nearest site in Littlehampton? It's the ideal location for visiting our RSPB Pagham Harbour and RSPB Pulborough Brooks reserves.