West Midland Bird Club

The Nightjar In The West Midlands, 1958

This article first appeared in The West Midland Bird Report for 1958.

Names and spellings were used as given. Sutton Park was then in Warwickshire, but has been in the West Midlands county since 1974.

The Nightjar is now known as the “European Nightjar” (Caprimulgus europaeus). For their current status, please see our county lists.

The status and distribution of the Nightjar in the West Midlands

Introduction

In the West Midland Bird Club Report No. 24 for 1957 a comprehensive account of the status and distribution of the Nightjar was given, and at the same time the results of the 1957 survey were published. This survey was repeated during 1958, when particular attention was paid both to ensure that all areas covered during 1957 were visited in the following year, and to attempt to cover further areas where there were indications that the species had occurred in the past. It is a tribute to the keenness of some of our members that 15 further areas were searched, and that of the areas covered during 1957 all but one were visited again in 1958. The most disappointing omission has been the poor coverage of Cannock Chase.

One more record of historical interest has come to light. It appears that in the 1920's two eggs of the Nightjar were found at a nest in bracken at Purley Park, near Atherstone, Warwickshire, and that up to 1950 a bird was sometimes to be heard churring at Whittington, also near Atherstone.

The Survey in 1958

A summary of the results in this year compared with previous experience is given in the table below.

County — Warwickshire
Locality Year last seen/heard Churring Birds, 1957 Churring Birds, 1958
1. Sutton Park 1958 1 (15/6–18/6 only) 1 (16/6 only)
2. Ragley Park and Estate 1958 Not visited 4–5
3. Oakley Wood 1947 Not visited Nil
4. Moreton Morrell 1956 Not visited Nil
5. Compton Verney - Not visited Nil
6. Walton Park (near Wellesboume Hastings) - Not visited Nil
7. Oversley Wood 1951 Not visited Nil
8. Waverley Wood 1958 1 1
Total for Warwickshire 2 6–7
Total for areas visited in 1957 and 1958 2 2



County — Worcestershire
Locality Year last seen/heard Churring birds,1957 Churring Birds,1958
9. Sheriffs Lench 1947 Nil Nil
10. Witley Court Estate ca. 1950 Nil Nil
11. Wyre Forest 1955 Nil Nil
12. Worcester—Knightwick area 1958 Nil 3
13. Randan Woods 1955 Nil Nil
14. Abbot's Morton 1955 Not visited Not visited
15. Habberley Valley 1951 Not visited Nil
16. Malvern area (Foxhall; Storridge Woods) 1957 2 Nil
17. Kidderminster area (Rifle Range — Devil's Spittleful) 1958 2 1 (7/6 and 23/6 only)
Total for Worcestershire 4 4
Total for areas visited in 1957 and 1958 4 4



County — Staffordshire
Locality Year last seen/heard Churring Birds,1957 Churring Birds,1958
18. Hopwas Wood 1958 Nil 1
19. Northern Moorlands:      
(a) Gun, near Heaton - Not visited Nil
(b) Barnswood, near Rudyard Lake - Not visited Nil
20. Aqualate and Gnosall 1955 Not visited Nil
21. Kinver Edge 1953 Not visited Nil
22. Cannock Chase:      
(a) Brindley Heath 1952 Not visited Not visited
(b) Shoal Hill 1957 1 Not visited
(c) Seven Springs 1958 3 1
23. Bagot's Park 1958 6 5
24. Shoul's Woods and Blythebank - Not visited Nil
25. Chartley Park 1958 Not visited 1 +
26. Needwood Forest (Hoar Cross: Newchurch)   Not visited Nil
27. Enville Heath (Kinver Forest) and Enville Common - 12 16
28. Highgate Common 1958 3 3
29. Chillington Park 1958 ca. 5 4
Total for Staffordshire 30 31
Total for areas visited in 1957 and 1958 29 30

Conclusions

The 1958 Survey makes it apparent that numbers were very much the same as in 1957. It is also obvious that the two especially favoured habitats are dry tree/ heath, with birch and bracken the dominants (7 cases) and young conifer plantations (4 cases). The latter habitat is not peculiar to any one county, but it is interesting that the only ones which have had Nightjars are in Staffordshire — Bagot's Park, Chartley Park, Enville Heath and Chillington Park — and that they had over 80% of the birds found in Staffordshire and 65% of the birds found in all three counties. These four areas suffer little disturbance — the public have only limited access or are prohibited altogether — but the continuance of the present numbers of Nightjar in the West Midlands seems largely to depend upon re-afforestation. Less favoured habitats could be grouped as clearings and rides with bracken in mature conifer plantations (1 case), devastated or felled woodland (2 cases) and one case of three churring birds in a deciduous plantation with dense under-growth (species unknown) at Ragley Park.

Acknowledgments

The results of the 1958 Survey would not have been possible but for the energy and enterprise of the following:— Mrs. M. Palmer-Smith, Miss A. P. Wood, Messrs. G. A. and M. A. Arnold, T. K. Beck, R. J. Bradney, S. C. Brown, F. Colley, A. W. Cundall, A. T. Edwards, F. Fincher, T. W. Ford, A. J. Harthan, M. D. Higgins, D. F. Hope, G. M. Ireson, E. C. Lacy, G. M. Lewis, C. C. Owen, C. R. L. Reece, J. Sears, K. H. Thomas, P. Till and W. B. Yapp.

A. R. M. Blake.

© West Midland Bird Club, 147 World's End Lane, Birmingham, England B32 1JX
Registered charity, number 213311

Ornithology in Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire & the West Midlands county, since 1929.

Fetched from http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/archive/nightjar-58 on Monday 20 May 2013 10:06:15

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