Somehow I have never seen a European Nightjar – mainly due to the fact that every time I think about finding them I then decide I am too tired to stay out half the night as I have to get up for work. Well, with no work to worry about I headed, with my friend Simon Tonkin, to Crowle Moors, part of the Humberhead Peatlands National Nature Reserve.

We got there at about 9 pm and walked into the best Nightjar habitat, seeing a juvenile Green Woodpecker along the way. We selected a watch point and waited for the churring. However, it very quickly became obvious that mosquitos were way more common than Nightjars here. In fact standing still attracted a huge cloud of monster mozzies that needed constant flapping of the arms to keep away. Whilst we were being driven crazy a number of mallard and smaller numbers of Teal flew overhead to roosting spots. Just before dusk a large group of Carrion Crows flew in to a roost too.

Unfortunately the mosquitos were by now co-ordinating their assualt, making it very difficult to stand still. Then, a churring Nightjar sparked our hopes, and it was soon joined by at least 5 others. I thought now that it would be a simple case of waiting for them to emerge. Something that they didn’t seem too keen on. No wonder – they had no need to fly to catch insects, simply sit with their mouths open and a swarm of mosquitos were bound to fly in.

By now, both Simon and I were swelling up from mosquito bites and dancing around trying to flap them away. We managed to stay still for a few moments to take a look at the amazing sight of Jupiter and 4 of its moons – wonderful, if only a Nightjar had flown past!

This had to be good enough to be the trip highlight and we made a hasty getaway, by this time we were both on the verge of insanity from the constant barrage from the mosquitos. Nightjars certainly live here, but if you decide to go to see them, soak yourself in deet for a week beforehand.

Step 1: Choose a warm, sunny day in mid summer.

Step 2: Take a long lie-in and slowly eat breakfast so as to miss any morning bird activity.

Step 3: Go out at midday.

Step 4: Sit in a hot car in atraffic jam for 30 minutes in order to dull the senses and increase impatience.

Step: 5: If the weather should become windy so much the better, this will drive any small passerines into the undergrowth and make it almost impossible to find birds.

This is exactly how I prepared for my walk along the River Hull to Eske/Pulfin and as a consequence saw almost nothing of note – in fact I may have set a record for the least eventful birdwatching walk in history. The “highlights” were 2 juvenile Grey Herons, a group of 21 Coot, 4 Cormorants, a male Yellowhammer and a female Kestrel. Wow!

In fact the walk was rescued from a total non-event by a noisy Little Owl which flew into a hawthorn tree from a point on the ground where presumably it had just caught something to eat.

With another huge fried breakfast inside me I headed uphill from Boot village towards Blea Tarn. The by now customary Yellowhammers, Willow Warblers, Wrens and Chaffinches were joined by plenty of Robins, including a number of juveniles, and a family party of Great Tits.

Once upon the ridgetop a Raven flew over doing its best demonstration of its “graak, graak” call and a Kestrel was hunting over some very boggy land. Somehow I got a bit lost amongst the crags and bogs, which is strange as this is exactly what happened to my dad and I when we came up here 27 years ago – he carried me across the bogs – this time I had to manage on my own getting very wet feet in the process. I found Blea Tarn and nearby Stiny Tarn where a Reed Bunting was busy calling – a quite unexpected species here. The view across the valley to Harter Fell, where I was yesterday was quite good and foretold the rain that was to come later.

Harter Fell

I walked across the moors where some old druid circles exist and some farmers were using sheepdogs to round up sheep before heading downhill. The path down was full of birds with 5 Tree Pipits, 2 juvenile Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a male Blackcap, a Whitethroat and many more common species.

Back down in the valley I walked down to the River Eske and along through the woods. Whilst walking across some fields I came across some juvenile Swallows being fed by their parents and allowing me to approach very closely: a nearby sheep seemed very interested in the whole episode too!

The woodlands were once again alive with species; Coal Tit, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Spotted Flycatcher, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Song Thrush, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker and a pair of Jays. The river Eske here is very beautiful, I remember having picnics here when I was small but today a Grey Wagtail was picnicking on insects. Heading back to the car the rain began to fall quite heavily so I drove to the coastal village of Ravenglass.