Nightjars at Chobham Common

We usually got to West Stow in Suffolk for our annual Nightjar experience but the spot we visit is getting very difficult to see the Nightjars due to the trees in the clearing growing so we considered visiting the Kings forest to search for a new fresher clearing but at the last minute decided to visit Chobham Common in Surrey which despite being around the M25 for us is actually closer than West Stow.

With clear skies and some warmth in the air we decided to go last night and set off at 7.30pm arriving around 8.30pm at Staple Hill only to find the road closed so we needed to find a different car park to the planned destination and not knowing the site at all having never visited before we stopped firstly at Roundabout car park but after the checking the map we opted to drive down the road to Monument car park. 

We walked out onto the heath and after about half a mile found an area of bracken/heathland that looked ideal so set up at 9pm as the sun started to set.

9.15 and the first Woodcock appeared and by 9.30pm we'd heard our first Nightjars. Over the next half an hour we had no fewer than ten Woodcock and double figures of Nightjar with two birds coming so close we could have reached out and touched them as they flew slowly around us.

several Bats were encountered as we walked back to the car and we arrived home at 11.15pm to end what was probably our best ever nights jarring and it looks like we have a new place for the annual event.

year list now 218