After reading Dave Ouseys report to Whisby and learning that it was less than 2 hours away I decided that this largest most Northerly concentration of Nightingales should be visited. I suggested the idea to Craig and Craggy who did not dispute and asked when?  It took a couple of weeks of dilly-dallying and a date was set - Saturday 13^th of May. Birdguides was looking very busy in the counties near the M62 motorway and A1 road. A Stone Curlew had turned up at an upland reservoir in Kirklees. Black-winged Stilts had arrived at Blacktoft Sands. A Turtle Dove had arrived at Old Moor near Barnsley and at Whisby.  A Common Crane had also arrived in Lincolnshire.  Of course being the mad month of May they were all gone!

I asked a number of different sources. Dave Ousey heard from a friend who visited recently the Nightingales were still active. I asked online and news was positive with even a hot spot pointed out. I rang the reserve who stated that this year there were 4 singing males compared to 8 last year. Some years back they had double figures. The stats were scary - maybe up to 91% decline in the population in the UK.

We arrived just after 8. The visitor centre opened at 10am but the car park opened earlier. On the outside of a Black-headed Gull colony was a Mediterranean Gull sitting. We found the path that would take us around Coot Lake. It was important to get the right route as there were around six large lakes here. As we walked along the Coot Lake route we were hit by a chorus of Warblers - Blackcap, Whitethroat and Garden Warbler appearing the three most common here. We got the chance to compare Garden Warbler and Blackcap - realising at the same time how different the songs were and how easy to confuse they were.

We arrived at a spot where some people were standing - it turned out to be the hot spot. On the board at the visitor centre it said Nightingales were most active from 9am -11am here and there were now 5 singing males. It was sometime after 9.35am a Nightingale showed. Over 35 minutes late! - how dare they! We got brief glimpses in the scrub as we waited desperately trying to get a glimpse. With no birds singing and no birds showing so far we were grateful of the glimpse. I noticed Craig was watching something at the other side of the path and a brown bird flew over with a rufous tail. It was a Nightingale. A couple from South Yorkshire who had a Nightingale stay in their garden for two days during autumn migration were trying to point out a Nightingale to Craggy. I noticed he was looking very bemused and I saw why. The white cheeks were a dead give away! As I was narrating the story to Craig out of ear shot Craggy said I am not owning up to that one, that was them! and Craig asked was the Nightingale on a feeder in the garden?

It was not long before we heard the Nightingale clear its throat and gave a short burst of a song - probably 5 seconds long and the same again. It was not long before one appeared on a perch with its back to us. It captivated us - we could see how the tail contrasted with the upper body. It disappeared again. We waited patiently. After twenty minutes bird sat out in the open on the branch. A volunteer warden and a regular visitor were stood nearby and as they lowered their hands and binoculars and I raised mine they dismissed it as only a Robin. As I looked at it I felt something go through me as the bird not only looked larger than a Robin, its reddish-brown tail contrasted with the lighter brown back. I cant remember what I shouted out but all eyes were on it barring the short man from Crewe who could not peer above the small hedge. The Nightingale sat out for what appeared a very long time moving its head side to side before disappearing like a phantom in the forest. Russell and I explored the other lakes for 45 minutes as we could give Craig some peace and quiet to get some good shots., Sadly for us there was no deafening epic renditions but after trying in Portugal, Germany and France I finally had a reasonable photograph of a Nightingale. I had seen one in Norfolk in 2010 and of course in other European countries but for Russell it was a lifer! Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust deserve credit for this reserve and the way they manage it.

Our next stop was Blacktoft Sands where we were greeted by news of a Spoonbill right in front of a hide bathing but just flying off. We moved on from the visitor centre to the next hide and entertained fabulously by a male Marsh Harrier which hunted in front of the hide. We watched it glide, circle and float effortlessly over the reed beds in contrast to a Sparrowhawk which appeared a bit later, which burst over the reed beds at high speed. The reed beds were alive - a cacophony of Warblers including Reed, Sedge and Cettis and Whitethroats from the scrub intertwined with the pinging of Bearded Tits. Craig caught site of the female Montagu Harrier frequenting the reserve and probably half of the pair who bred here for the last two years. Its long thin wings made the tail look even longer as it also quartered over the reed beds.

We moved onto the next hide which was full. I asked some of them who had been in the hide for a good while if they saw the Montagu Harrier quartering towards the right maybe twenty minutes ago. No came the reply! It was probably right in front of them. The Bearded Tits were showing better here and had the hide enthralled and occupied t such an extent that an elephant could have flown past and they would not have noticed it. Half of the hide was occupied by a bird watching class led by an expert!

I saw a golden/light brown coloured bird flying over the reed bed and headed out right in front of us. I thought it was a Montagu Harrier but realised it was a Bittern! An excited wave of panic swept through the hide. Two Avocets flew over. Then Craig mentioned rather casually the ,Montagu Harrier was back up. I can understand why people did not see it the first time- people were all looking the same way. Lots of excitement and shiny happy faces which were re-lit very soon after a second Bittern picked up by Craig flew in from the other side. Then the Montagu Harrier shape shifted over the reeds and out of the reserve. The hide was very thankful with our arrival. Craggy hade made his way to the other side and they all listened attentively to him, in awe that his team had picked up the two best birds. The day ended with two Yellow Wagtails flying over.

Looking at Birdguides the next day and realising a Little Gull was logged at Blacktoft 50 minutes after we left. In Lincolnshire a Purple Heron had turned up not far from Whisby whilst Broad-Billed Sandpiper and Temmincks Stint were at Frampton.  One of the best birding days I have ever had!

-- Edited by sarfraz on Sunday 14th of May 2017 10:41:07 PM