It was a very pleasant mild evening when 20 of us met up in Olney for a 5.5mile hike cross-country to Yardley Chase to hopefully listen to a nightingale. I had done a recce the night before and knew he was back singing in his usual spot so was very much keeping my fingers crossed that such a big group wouldn’t affect his performance!

On the way we saw a several hares and a brief glimpse of a small group of fallow deer which included several white individuals. The primroses and bluebells were putting on a good show in the hedges and woods and we passed a magnificent oak tree with a huge girth. As we approached the area where the nightingale was we saw a barn owl in the distance quartering the edge of the field. We slowed down and crept quietly up to the nightingale who was happily warbling away in the woodland out of sight. I felt it was important that we kept our distance as they are rare breeding birds and I didn’t want to disturb him. In some ways that was a pity as we weren’t near enough to appreciate the sheer volume of his song but it was still a magical experience in the gathering gloom when the other birds were starting to quieten down for the night – although the local song thrushes were still putting up stiff competition.

Recording of nightingale singing, Yardley Chase 3 May 2022 (Recording by Julie Lane)

After a while in his company we turned for home, surprising a fox on his nocturnal wandering. Sadly the grasshopper warbler I had heard the night before was silent, or had moved on, but we were thrilled to hear brief utterances of a second nightingale in another part of the wood.

Whilst crossing the field of beans we were treated to the sound of two lapwings calling in the dark – a lovely end to a special evening. Thank you to all who came – you will have slept well afterwards!

List of notable species seen (not comprehensive)

Birds
2 x nightingale singing
Barn Owl
Cuckoo
Raven
Whitethroat
Blackcap
Yellowhammer
Song thrush
Willow warbler
Chiffchaff
Lapwing
Grey partridge

Mammals
Fox
Hare
Fallow deer including several white deer

Moths
Silver Ground Carpet
Green Carpet
Brimstone

Plants
Primrose
Cowslip
Bluebell
Lesser celandine
Bugle
Ground ivy
Perforate St John’s-wort
White deadnettle