In July seventeen of us braved the rigours of a balmy evening on Marsham Heath to watch and mostly listen for the nightjars there.
These elusive birds, a relative of the swift, are still sometimes known by their old name of Goat Sucker given in the belief that they can steal a goat’s milk during the night. There were no goats on the Heath to disprove this theory but birds didn’t disappoint us with the sound of their chirring coming from all around, although seeing them was a lot more difficult in the gathering gloom. The almost frog like ‘song’ of a nearby woodcock also added to the enjoyment. It was a magical evening.