Just another Monday, or so I thought!
My mobile rings at 11.50
Brian, Have you seen it?
Me: Seen what?
Brian: Common Nighthawk in Oxford
Me: Are we going?
Brian: Yes, of course, we are!
By 12.30 we had met up with Brian and had begun the ninety-mile journey along the M25/M40 towards Wantage in Oxfordshire. Having encountered no problems en route we arrived around 2pm. Having duly paid the £10 donation we joined the hundred or so birders already present. We were expecting to join a long queue and wait for our turn to enter a resident's house and grab a few minutes watching the bird. To our surprise, the bird was perched on a fence in a Cul de sac! We were now able to enjoy the bird for as long as we wanted, no more than 10 metres away.
It remained on the fence all afternoon, occasionally shuffling from side to side to turn 180° from left to right. There were numerous Red Kites in the area and the Nighthawk would raise its head when they drifted overhead and then flatten itself along the fence.
It remained until 6.56pm this evening when it took flight and was last seen heading south in the darkening evening skies.
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