Come May pretty much 90% of our visiting summer birds have returned to breed on our shores. Late comers are Swifts and Nightjars, both highly specialized birds needing the right breeding habitat. Swifts spend almost their whole life air-borne, feeding, sleeping and even mating up in the sky. The young birds that will hatch this year will spend the next two years continually flying until they’re ready to breed.
Nightjars on the other hand feed by the cover of night, preying upon the abundant moths and other insects hawking in the moonlight. Aylesbeare common and Venn ottery are good reserves to see this very unusual and still rare local breeding bird.
We highly recommend coming along on one of our many walks planned for this month. The dawn chorus rambles are great on Exminster, however, if that’s too early why not come along to a sunset walk here at Darts Farm.
Gareth Williams