This weather, the wettest month on record, three times the average rainful, I just haven't done very much birding lately. Also helped little that last week I hit a flood damaged path too fast and came off the bike fairly hard, doing a real number on my legs. Haven't really felt like riding since.
During my last circumnavigation of Brierley an elderly gentleman who noted my bins asked whether I'd heard the Nightjar. We don't have Nightjar at the park, so I reasoned he mistook the Grasshopper Warbler's similar reeling call for the much more illustrious species (the warbler has high-pitched grasshopper like call, the Nightar a low chirrrrr, both go on and on). This I attempted to explain yet he was adamant, said he'd even seen them skimming over the lake - probably referring to the Swifts that come in from town. Seems like he put two and two together and came up with Nightjar. Again I tried to explain his mistake to him, still he'd have none of it, and I left wondering whether sometimes it's better to leave chaps like him to enjoy their self-assured ignorance.
Probably not, he's missing out on finding the real thing, which is an amazing thing.
Tomorrow I'm off with the girlfriend to see the Tour de France in London, camping the whole weekend. I think we'll at least get some birding done in the great parks. That leaves just enough time this evening to check out the Barn Owl nest at King's Mill, a secret site I heard about it today on the local birding grapevine. Knew they were about, didn't know where, and I'm told only one of three chicks is yet to fledge.
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