11/08/2018
After an
absence of 45 years, European
Nightjar has bred again at RSPB headquarters at The Lodge,
Bedfordshire.
In early
June a churring male was discovered on an area of restored heathland at the
nature reserve. After that, a female appeared and the pair was seen displaying
together, which suggested an intention to breed. The site last held breeding
nightjars in 1973. Confirmation of whether or not the birds have successfully
reared young, and if so how many, will have to wait until after they’ve
finished nesting, but the breeding attempt is positive news for the RSPB
following on-site conservation efforts.
Peter
Bradley, Senior Site Manager at The Lodge, expressed his delight: "We're
over the moon, not only because these birds have returned and appear to be
breeding for the first time in so many years, but also because they’ve chosen
to nest on a part of the reserve where we set about recreating the kind of
heathland habitat used by nesting European Nightjars that has been lost."
The RSPB
bought 59 hectares of forestry land adjacent to The Lodge in 2003 and
began restoring the area back to heathland. Over the course of two winters, the
non-native commercial forest trees were felled and heather was sown using
seed from existing heathland on the reserve. Nightjars haven't been the
only good news story since the restoration either, with Woodlarks and Natterjack Toads among the other
beneficiaries.
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