Spending most the day on the reserve at Northward Hill I was well used to the weather patterns this Thursday. Basically, it was torrential rain for 20 minutes, then dry for the same period. It was nice to meet the volunteers, as they had their lunch who'd been out on the reserve planting up Comfrey, Ground Ivy, White Dead Nettle and Black Horehound.
It was really good to catch up with Kate and her team from the Bumble-bee Conservation.
I was a little nervous about this evenings' Nightingale Walk, the forecast wasn't promising, but with no way of cancelling it, I was committed and to be honest I never need an excuse to go on the reserve (even if I'm the only one!).
7 o'clock saw Lesley Frizzel, Edward Woodhouse and Adrian Olsen in the car-park with our two guests Tracey and Brian.
After a brief chat to introduce ourselves, we decided (mainly, because of the dark skies) to get straight off to the principle Nightingale territories to find some singing males.
Pausing momentarily on Sweeney Viewpoint to look out across the reserve and talk about Owen Sweeney and his passion for Nightingales and the current situation with Lodge Hill etc, with a little bit of history of the CRS building thrown in. We continued across the bridge and slowly made our way up the hill straining our ears to catch the emerging refrain of singing males' start up song, often about ten monotonous notes as an introduction.
After listening to 2 or 3 males singing we made our way into the woods of the hill and enjoyed the full song from a nearby bush, with a Peacock and Cuckoo in the background, I also heard the unmistakable call of a female Cuckoo, which was a first for me this year so far.
Walking back we could also hear a Nightingale calling its low churring warning, as Adrian described it 'like dragging your nail across a comb.'
Back in the car-park our two guests were very happy at what they'd heard this evening.
Just as we were getting into our cars I heard a ruckus in the sky looking up I saws a raptor fling off with what looked like a collared dove in its talons, in the gloom and as I could only see it from the rear I'm guessing the hunter was a Sparrowhawk female judging by its size.