This article, by a then-prominent member of the Club, first appeared in ‘British Birds’ issue 28:2 (pages 50–52), in July 1934.
Bird and place names were spelt as shown. For their current status, please see our county lists.
A Census of Nightingales in S. Worcestershire.
During May 1934 I made a careful census of singing Nightingales (Luscinia m. megarhyncha) in a rectangular area approximately 5×4 miles, including some 12,000 acres. The area is NW of Evesham in South Worcestershire comprising the south portion of low hills rising to 300 feet, which extend from Birmingham and lie between the Severn and Avon valleys. Geologically the country consists of Blue Lias clay with surface drift of Keuper marls. The steep banks facing the river valleys are wooded with oak as the predominant tree, and skirted with thickets of low bushes with thorn and gorse.
The area contains about 1,000 acres of woodland, represented by ten large woods and fourteen spinneys under one acre in area. The thorny scrubland surrounding the wooded hill slopes is about 300 acres. Probably two-thirds of the land under farming is pasture. Altogether forty Nightingales were heard singing. Each bird was checked three times between May 4th–25th and many were checked more often. The following details of distribution were noted:—
Divided into categories there appear to be:—
This suggests that, in this area, Nightingales show a very marked preference for open sunny thickets of thorn, with patches of tufty grass between. Their liking for this type of territory was shared by about a dozen Nightjars (Caprimnlgus e. europceus) and Grasshopper-Warblers (Locustella n. navia). Mention of these two latter species will, perhaps, give a better idea of the area than can be expressed in words.
Some half dozen pairs used to frequent spinney woodland bordering a small estate adjacent to the town of Evesham. As the pasture near these spinneys has been ploughed up for vegetable growing, Nightingales have decreased, though the spinneys remain. One was present last year, but I have heard none this year.
It is probable that the numbers of Nightingales in the area is as great, or larger, than any other area of similar size in the country, owing to the large area of derelict land they favour. Perhaps other bird watchers will undertake similar surveys to afford figures for comparison.
It was repeatedly noticed that Nightingales sang during the sunset chorus of other birds, but fell silent until they began again between 10.30 and 11.30 pm.
The first survey and check of the results of results obtained was done on foot or bicycle. The third check was done by bicycle and car. All took place between 11 pm and 2.30 am. The weather was calm and the birds could be heard singing from a distance of up to half a mile.
A J Harthan
Reproduced by kind permission of British Birds 
.
Ornithology in Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire & the West Midlands county, since 1929.
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