Mutter’s Moor

Friday 30th July 2010

Perhaps it was the competing attractions of the Sidmouth Folk Festival and Heath Week, or perhaps it was just the unpromising weather, but only six of us met up for this year’s Nightjar walk. While it stayed dry for the walk, the clouds probably helped bring out the Nightjars a little earlier than usual. We paused for a couple of minutes soon after we left the car park while Roger went back to fetch his torch, and we were treated to a fly-past by a Kestrel (as well as the odd Crow and Wood Pigeon). A little further along, we heard our first churring and a Nightjar flew across the path straight in front of me.

When we had got to a more open area, we didn’t have to wait long before we saw another Nightjar flying around and calling, then two of then together. I’m not sure whether Diane waving her handkerchiefs made any difference, but a least one of the Nightjars flew around us several times. I have only been living in this area for six years or so, but one of the group was saying that Mutter’s Moor used to be a rather poor area, but a lot of work has been done in recent years to improve the habitat for Nightjars and other wildlife. We are fortunate that there are quite a few sites around Exeter where the Nightjars are doing well - not least the Aylesbeare reserve and the other East Devon Commons.

Richard Swinbank