Sunday 5 June 2016

Deet would have been handy

I also went on a search for Nightjar last night and went to Onllwyn near the Gas Tanks. I had made plans to go on Thursday night but something came up last minute and I had to call it off so when I saw last night was free I thought yes go for it. I set off about 8 clock and there were swarms of flies in the forest and as I walk there was a bit of a breeze and I thought what a perfect night, boy was I wrong. I kept going through the swarms and was not getting bit yet so I thought it's looking good so far. I did get a nice view of a fox as I walked and made good time getting to the site. I also saw about a dozen fox moths flying around the forestry road. Unfortunately then the feast begin, there must have been thousands of gnats and I got bitten all over and as I walked down the road trying to get away from them the temperate really dropped and I thought they will be going now. No fear they keep following me and has I stopped to take shots of this cracking bit cotton grass and flowering mosses they came at me once more and I felt there was nowhere else to get bitten by then. Then if by magic I forgot my bites when I started to hear a Nightjar churring in the distance. I made my way to where the noise was coming from but it stayed out of sight until about 9.50 and then I had close views of two males as they were battling for the evening skies.  Both birds were wing clapping and came even closer and give brilliant views. As fast as they came they were gone and I could still  hear a distant bird churring away in the near darkness. I also heard a cuckoo calling and it was the only bird I heard  all night. By this time it was time to head back and when I got to the Bryn Du part of the forest I could hear a Tawny Owl calling close by and it then flew right over me and landed in a tree and in that split second a Nightjar started calling close by but was in no rush to show it's self to me. It fell silent once again so I carried on with my trip home and I found the Tawny Owl sitting on a fence post just around the corner by which time I was pretty knackered but pleased with myself for going. I will be gettting Gnat spray for next time or one of those onesie's like Rob's got which is made of Mosquitoes net and I think he got it for Scotland pmsl .





2 comments: