Nightjar surveying is one of my favourite things. Let me set the scene. You’re walking along a forest track at dusk, you can see the orange and pink sky as the sun sets behind the trees. The air is still warm as moths and bats begin to emerge. You reach a clearing at the top of a hill, from here you can see across they valley. Your view is framed by tall purple Foxgloves and Bracken. Suddenly, you hear a sound. Like a mechanical churring. It’s haunting. If you’re anything like me, this is when your heart soars and all you can do is listen in awe – it’s a Nightjar.
Nightjars are summer visitors to Wales, breeding in June and July. Typically, you only get to hear Nightjars on a survey. Nightjars have fantastic camouflage and are notoriously difficult to spot! Their chilling songs, nocturnal habits and cryptic nature are perhaps why they feature so heavily in folklore. European Nightjars were described all the way back in ancient Greece by Aristotle. The ancient Greeks believed that Nightjars sucked the milk of goats. This resulted in the name ‘goatsucker’ being used to describe many species of Nightjar. Nightjars actually feed on nocturnal insects. Nightjars have small beaks but wide mouths, perfect for capturing large amounts of insects in flight (not for sucking goats!). In the UK they have been associated with ill fortune since medieval times. Nightjars overwinter in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In some African cultures, Nightjars are considered psychopomps. Psychopomps are mythological spiritual guides that guide souls to the afterlife. Nightjars and their relatives have also been included in the work of H.P Lovecraft, Washington Irvine, and even Stephen King!
