I did some more evening birding over the weekend with a trip to see Nightjars on their breeding grounds along the Dutch border. We got to watch several birds displaying, including lots of wing-clapping, and heard many more, with their churring song echoing around the heath as we left. It was, however, my first trip to the heathland this year, so I went back yesterday morning to catch up with some of the diurnal specialties of this habitat. A far too early start for my day off paid off with at least four Hobbies putting on a wonderful show as they caught dragonflies low above the Stappersven, which held two, summer-plumaged Black-necked Grebes. The heathland was now filled with the song of Tree Pipit, Willow Warbler and Woodlark instead of Nightjars and I even found a dead, juvenile Smooth Snake along the road. Best of all, though, were two very elusive species - Black Woodpecker seen twice and a singing Bluethroat.
June is by far the best time to visit the heathlands, which can almost seem devoid of birds, apart from the ubiquitous Stonechat, later in the summer.
