Surrey Uncommon | Episode 8
The Surrey heathlands come alive at night! In this episode of Surrey Uncommon, we’re on the search of one of the UK’s most mysterious birds; the European nightjar. We head onto the heathland with James Herd from the Surrey Wildlife Trust to track down the elusive nightjar and listen out for its unmistakable ‘churr’. 🎶
A wild night on the heathlands
Nightjars are fascinating birds. They migrate thousands of miles between the UK and sub-Saharan Africa each year, returning to our heathlands during the summer to breed. They’re also incredibly well camouflaged, making them notoriously difficult to spot. As the light starts to disappear, we switch to night vision and start listening carefully for signs of activity. During our walk, James shares plenty of fascinating facts about these unusual birds. From why they’re sometimes known as ‘goat suckers’ to how they catch insects in mid-air, and why their famous ‘wing clap’ isn’t quite what we once thought it was. And after a little bit of waiting, we finally hear what we’ve been hoping for…
The nightjars
We manage to hear several males churring around us and even catch glimpses of two birds flying overhead. One makes a particularly dramatic appearance, flying right over our videographer, Duncan’s head!
Watch episode 8 now
There’s something pretty magical about standing on the heathland in complete darkness, listening to a bird that has travelled thousands of miles from Africa to spend the summer right here in Surrey. And with busy roads like the A3 and M25 running nearby, it’s easy to forget just how much incredible wildlife is living right on our doorstep. Check out the latest episode of Surrey Uncommon below and join us on our nightjar adventure.👇🏼🩷🔔
Missed the latest episode? Catch up here and see you all on Episode 9!
