Nightjar

Kings Wood, Challock - Yesterday evening, together with CP, we had a run out to Kings Wood for a spot of Nightjaring in the large clearing to the north of the main car park. The chestnut scrub had grown above head height since our visit last year and as a result Tree Pipits were absent; infact hardly any birdlife was seen apart from a couple of Jays until, eventually, at 2124hrs a Nightjar commenced its eerie `churring` song. Over the following half hour or so we had close flight and perched views of a single male as it performed and sang from dead branches around the woodland margins.
Lade - The past few days on the lakes has witnessed a steady build up of waterfowl on south lake with Shoveler, Pochard and Tufted Duck mingling with over 200 Coot. Great Crested and Little Grebes have also joined the throng along with their young, while a steady flow of Common Terns come and go from the direction of the bird reserve to fish. At high tide 120 Curlews were counted roosting on the Desert by Mockmill.
  The adult Cuckoos have fallen silent and presumably headed off south as calling hasn't been reported since last weekend; hopefully there are one or two juveniles about to fledge from Reed Warbler nests soon and fatten up for the long haul to Africa. Around the margins of south lake wagtails have been attracted to piles of rotting water weed, mostly Pieds but yesterday a Grey and today two juvenile Yellows along with a trickle of the latter passing overhead. 
  Conditions for mothing continue to attract plenty of common species to light with another two Sussex Emeralds last night, also Kent Black Arches, Green Pug, Pale Grass Eggar and Short-cloaked Moth new for the year, plus a record five Privet Hawk-moths.

                                   Pale Grass Eggar

                                Sussex Emerald