Teesmouth Bird Club

Nightjars have now been present for a number of years and to date I have not had a problem seeing them. To start with they do perform better in good weather. I have been up on what appeared to be a good night but an unexpected five minute shower meant that no birds sang that night. A warm still night is best and as they like the dark cloud cover is not an issue. This year the reports so far with probably not all the birds in there have been 3 singing males in the hanging stone area two singing males in the clearing above Belmangate and 4 singing males in the clearing between Butt lane and Westworth plantation. The best place to visit is therefore the area around Westworth plantation. The OS reference for the best place to go is NZ 634 143 and remain on the main path and on the two visits I have made this year birds have started churring before ten o'clock but as the days become longer it may be slightly after this time. On very clear nights they do start churring later than when it is overcast. On the path near to Westworth plantation there has been 3 churring males and a number of females and there is a further churring male at the Highcliffe end of the clearing. The first churring appears to be around Westworth plantation and some of the birds fly into the trees at the edge of the plantation and can be  viewed there. A number of people have been to the clearing above Belmangate where I have seen 2 males and a female (although more may be present) but as you are looking into the lights of Guisborough from the path there the views tend to be worse than at Westworth. I have never used recodings trying to attract the birds and frankly it is not necessary in this area. Also keep to the paths as if you do leave the path you are likely to get cuts on your legs and you could easly break an ankle because of the debris lying around. I have never left the path and, on my second visit this year (not counting the visit when I was too early)I had two females flying within five feet of my position and wing clapping. It is an idea to read what calls are made because apart from the churring, flight calls and contact calls are also commonly used and if the flight call is used you may see them touring the area. A final point is take care when in the area and be aware that it is a difficult climb and it will be dark when you return and remember that the welfare of the bird is the main priority. They are easly viewable so keep to the paths do not shine lights at the birds and try to keep disturbance to a minimum.   

Ive got a good memory Ian I missed the fall on Teesmouth in 1965 I happened to be at Cley with Tom it was rather good there. However I saw a lot more common migrants at South Gare on 17/09/69 when the place was alive. It was impossible to count the birds present so we estimated the numbers in the lagoon and Gare area as 440 Redstart,210 Wheatear, 100+ Robin, 70 Garden Warbler, 58 Pied Flycatcher, 46 Willow Warbler, 30 + of both Dunnock and Goldcrest and varying numbers of Whinchat, Brambling, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Spotted Flycather, Blackcap, Tree Pipit etc. the highlights were Wood Lark, Rough Legged Buzzard, Barred Warbler, Black Redstart and Bluethroat. the dunes from the Gare to Redcar also held huge numbers of birds. On checking my notes from the 60's and early 70's we used to get regular falls similar to last month's most springs and autumns. Apparently there was also a big fall in 1961 and even I wasn't around then. We have been told that the depressions were taking a lower route during the 60's and this is why there was more falls in that period. Personally I don't believe there is enough birds in Scandinavia to reproduce some of the falls we had in the past. Anyway we can see what October brings.