Nightjar. 2019

[Fleur]

good observation guest

22:52 Nightjar to hear

[Triin]

Around 23:17 nightjar singing, calling, wing clapping

[Fleur]

July 17


7:36 looking around

[aita]

Around 23:17 nightjar singing, calling, wing clapping

23:16

EDIT : I had PC problems

I wonder how they work with their wings. At that time - wing clapping.

[aita]

today morning 3:49

I didn't notice anyone flying around 2-4 am.

[Marbzy]

13:40 another search in progress

[aita]

23:59 funny ending, like the old engine stops

[Fleur]

@ aita....I also wrote earlier that it is as if the fuel has run out

[Fleur]

20:06 someone call, Hawk, Falcon ?

[Fleur]

.....

[Fleur]

22:46 call from...

[Fleur]

23:06 the calling Bird is still around

23:12 Nightjar call

23:16 zooming around


23:23 still call from "the" Bird

[Marbzy]

Thanks, Fleur, for the observations and recordings. The raptor sounds his/her call again at 23:28.

I'm pretty sure I've heard that bird of prey (a kestrel perhaps?) on a number of evenings (usually, I'd say, between 10 and 11 pm), but I would be hard-pressed to name exact dates off the cuff. I'll have a look in the archive at the weekend to check my facts, as well as to dig out some funny/interesting/cute moments from the young nightjars' chickhood

Good night

[Fleur]

July 19

23:08 sound Woodcock and Nightjar

[sigge]

00:06 frog sound but then fighter jets start playing around.
Hey, it's Friday night, can we have some peace here

[Fleur]

23:33 Nightjar singing and flapping with the wings

[Fleur]

July 20

22:05

[Marbzy]

A little churring song at 23:03 and 23:16.
A couple of whistling calls at 23:38.
And then the floodgates open at 23:40: within the ensuing quarter a complete nightjar symphony is delivered: churring, whistling and some quite spectacular wing clapping, the latter culminating at 23:42-23:43. Once again there is a degree of overlap involving whistling and churring (e.g. at 23:47:03), suggesting the presence of at least two nightjars in the area. Some of the churring and wing clapping seem to have been produced barely inches from the microphone.
At 23:48:00 the "broken engine" sound is heard. It is followed by an extended spell of churring in the "broken engine" mode (slower than normal, and with a hint of a wheeze about it).

Unfortunately, there are no sightings to report.

EDIT: Here is a video of the noises made by the nightjars between 23:40:25 and 23:45:30:


And a description of what can be heard in the video:
Just under twenty minutes before midnight a nightjar symphony rings out. An inconspicuous start - a mere whistling call or two - soon (0:17) erupts into a churring barrage, with two birds calling simultaneously from around 0:45. Both are heard churring clearly at the same time again at 1:15.
At 1:34 into the video, a 15-second-long wing clapping spell begins, fairly close to the camera mic, with more wing clapping between 2:15 and 2:20, then between 2:35 and 2:41, and again at 3:22.
Loud churring calls resume at 3:29 and continue, with pauses, for over a minute until the engine breaks down spectacularly at 4:47 to the sound of more wing clapping.

[Fleur]

July 21

10:39 call from Cranes in the distance

[aita]

A little churring song at 23:03 and 23:16.
A couple of whistling calls at 23:38.
And then the floodgates open at 23:40: within the ensuing quarter a complete nightjar symphony is delivered: churring, whistling and some quite spectacular wing clapping, the latter culminating at 23:42-23:43. Once again there is a degree of overlap involving whistling and churring (e.g. at 23:47:03), suggesting the presence of at least two nightjars in the area. Some of the churring and wing clapping seem to have been produced barely inches from the microphone.
At 23:48:00 the "broken engine" sound is heard. It is followed by an extended spell of churring in the "broken engine" mode (slower than normal, and with a hint of a wheeze about it).

Unfortunately, there are no sightings to report.
.....

July 20 23:40 +15 minutes