Nightjar revisited

This post doesn’t present much in the way of new photos but I have had a chance to go through my Nightjar photos on the computer and think I have made a slightly better job of editing them. That said it is possible to do an awful lot on a mobile phone. Also a video put together from footage taken with the bazooka - you can just about make out the bill moving when it churs.

We noted two different males (sexed due to white in wing tips and tail) flying together and a female so the area seems to be good for Nightjars and will hopefully allow new encounters.

Being at home means that the first stage of our 2021 summer holiday is over. Stage 2 will be a week in Beitostølen and stage 3 is still TBD.

Nightjar (nattravn). Taken at 22:51 on 24 June

here it was churring and the bill is slightly open

note the very large eye which is typical of nocturnal birds

here I was too close!

I tried using the flash a couple of times but the bird reacted to the autofocus light and this was the only shot I got. Red eye doesn't quite fit as a description

not the worst flight shot I could have hoped for

note the whiskers which help detect moths when it flies around in the dark. Although the bill looks very small the mouth is actually enormous and the hole of the larger triangle opens up