This evening was the fifth RSPB Medway Local Group for the celebration of the wonderous songster, the Nightingale.
The group have been running these walks for the last 6 years. Three venues have been visited over the 6/7 walks per year. The males only sing for about 6 weeks or so from the second week in April to the end of May.
The success of these walks is very much weather dependant, so it follows that a dull, cold overcast evening will not be as good as a warm sunny one. The weather, as we all know is something none of us have control over, from Summer Fetes and BBQs to Nightingale Walks. On the night the weather is what it is.
Northward Hill, Cliffe Pools and Lodge Hill have over the years produced many marvellous singing males.
So far this year because of the poor weather we have not been so lucky, although we have not had complete silences, thus far they’ve not sung as well in the past, but there are two more walks to go and if the weather improves a little we may be in luck.
Back to this evening. It was great to see 15 new faces in the car park assembled at 7 o’clock including some from Dorset and a man from Scotland!
Being the evening of Eurovision we couldn’t resist the comparison between human competitors and the feathered ones we were hopefully about to hear.
After a brief talk about the reserve and area (including inevitably Lodge Hill) and the local Nightingales and their plight we set off, but not before everyone had a Save Lodge Hill badge.
Ironically, on the reserve Nightingales had been singing well in the afternoon, so we set off in the direction of the Ernest Hemsley Viewpoint, disappointingly, nothing!
Making our way back up to Sweeney Viewpoint, still nothing, not even Whitethroat!
Slowly going down the Marsh Gate we heard the explosive song of Cetti’s Warbler, always a winner with those who’d never heard it before.
Walking through to the wooden bridge we heard Song Thrush, Blackcap, Chiff-chaff and Blackbird and Robin.
It was not until we started to ascend the hill we started to hear snatches of Nightingale song, initial whistles followed by bubbles and warbles. In the background a male Cuckoo kept calling.
Once deep into the wood several Nightingales started to sing only in short 15 second bursts, but enough to give the assembled, a good taste of their song.
Dusk was approaching as we reassembled at the Marsh Viewpoint and decided to call it a day.
Walking back to Bromhey carpark, it is fair to say that everyone was pleased with the songs they’d heard. So what more could we (as an RSPB Local Group) ask?
The North Kent Marshes are a very special area and worth preserving at all cost.