Butterflies & Dragonflies          Contact          First Sightings          Links          On This Day          S. Glos Listers          Systematic List          Where To Watch

 

The Birds Of South Gloucestershire          Nightingale - luscinia megarhynchos

 

Nightingale also known as Rufous or Common Nightingale, is a small passerine that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World Flycatcher. It belongs to a group of more terrestrial species, often called chats. Nightingales are named so because they frequently sing at night as well as during the day. The name has been used for well over 1,000 years, being highly recognizable even in its Anglo-Saxon form - 'nightingale' which means 'night songstress'. The song is loud, with an impressive range of whistles, trills and gurgles. Its song is particularly noticeable at night when few other birds are singing.

 

Nightingale is far from common in S. Gloucestershire;

 

2012: (2)

Lower Woods, Inglestone Common near Wickwar; Two were heard in song with one seen in flight on May 5th at the west end of the woods where the main stream exits the wooded area; Up to four were reported in song on May 12th;

 

2011: (c.6)

Lower Woods, Inglestone Common near Wickwar; Two were seen and heard on April 18th; At least four were seen and heard on May 1st; Several males were heard singing on Inglestone Common on May 17th.

 

 

Nightingale at Lower Woods in April 2011. Allan Chard.

 

 

Nightingale at Lower Woods in May 2011. Andy Jordan.

 

The 2011 Lower Woods Nightingale Survey results are summarised below: Full details here!

 

April 21st one at Horwood Lane; May 1st two birds heard by concrete bridge; May 4th one bird by hunting lodge, two singing together along track from concrete bridge plus two birds by concrete bridge another next to pheasant pen; May 7th one bird by concrete bridge, one in field opposite hunting lodge plus one bird by concrete bridge. May 8th Pheasant pen bird and one by concrete bridge; May 9th two birds by concrete bridge, two birds on footpath in field opposite hunting lodge with two birds in the distance from Mandy's house; May 10th three birds from concrete bridge, one possibly pheasant pen bird; May 12th one started singing 21:30 and in full song from 23:30; May 14th one in full song from 23:00 and singing all night.

 

2010: (c.3)

One, a male was heard singing in the morning on April 22nd in the hedge near the 'flash' on Northwick Warth; At least one was heard on Inglestone Common on May 8th; One was heard at Lower Woods near Horton Farm on June 16th.

 

2009: (c.3)

One male was present and in song at Horwood Farm in Lower Woods at Inglestone Common on May 5th, 21st and June 14th; Two males were heard singing on Inglestone Common on May 8th; Two or three males were heard singing at 20:45 at Lower Woods, Inglestone Common on May 12th.

 

2008: (c.10)

One was reported at Lower Woods, Inglestone Common on May 7th and during the breeding season two pairs were noted at Horwood Farm, Lower Woods on Inglestone Common, one of which fledged three young. There were also reports of three other singing males, two on Inglestone Common and one at the southern part of Lower Woods but these could relate to the same birds.

 

2007: (c.12)

Two were noted at Horwood Farm, Lower Woods on Inglestone Common on April 17th; One was seen at Severn Beach on April 20th; An estimated five pairs were present at Horwood Farm on May 9th; One was found at Webbs Heath, Warmley on May 13th.

 

2006: (c.11)

On May 16th three were heard singing on Inglestone Common; One was heard from a hedgerow near Tormarton on May 21st; Five pairs were recorded during the breeding season at Lower Woods on Inglestone Common.

 

2005: (c.13)

One was seen at Bishop's Hill Farm near Yate on April 21st; A breading season survey of Inglestone Common and Horwood Farm revealed eleven singing males; One was seen at Monk's Pool, Winterbourne on June 10th.

 

2004: (c.3)

One was heard at Horwood Farm, Wetmoor on Inglestone Common on April 24th with a maximum of three singing males there on May 11th.

 

2003: (2)

One was heard at Horwood Farm on April 23rd and continued singing until the end of May; One was noted at Duckhole near Thornbury on April 24th.

 

2002: (c.5)

A male was noted in song at Aust Warth on April 8th; Three singing males were reported near Inglestone on May 11th where one nest fledged successfully; One was hear at Horwood Farm near Wickwar on June 3rd.

 

2001: (c.6)

On May 9th six singing males were reported from Horwood Farm near Wickwar.

 

2000: (c.6)

Two males were singing on the railway embankment at Westerleigh on April 28th where they remained until at least  June 2nd; One was hear in scrub close to the Old Severn Bridge on May 7th; At least three males were present at Inglestone Common on May 15th.

 

1999: (c.14)

One was noted at Willsbridge on April 25th; Six singing males were reported at Lower Woods, Wickwar where one nest fledged successfully; Five males were singing from the railway embankment between Westerleigh and Coalpit Heath (no dates available); A male was reported from Rodway Common, Mangotsfield (no dates available); One was trapped and ringed at Severn Beach on September 4th.

 

1998: (c.16)

A male was heard at Westerleigh on April 25th - 31st; Three were reported from Lower Woods, Wickwar on April 25th; One was heard at Ram Hill, Coalpit Heath on April 30th; Nine were counted at Lower Woods Reserve on May 1st; One was hear from May 13th from the Cycle Track at Old Rodway Station; One was reported from a garden at Bagstone on June 6th.

 

1997: (c.25)

A male at Westerleigh was heard intermittently from April 20th until May 29th; Three male were in song at Lower Wetmoor Woods near Inglestone on April 27th with a maximum of five noted at the end of May. Three nest fledged successfully producing fourteen young.

 

1996: (c.7)

One was present on Inglestone Common on April 21st and the area counted six singing males; One was reported from Mangotsfield. (Not dates available)

 

1995: (c.15)

Breeding season reports from Inglestone Common suggest nine singing males but just one nest fledged successfully with five young. (No dates available)

 

1994: (c.7)

Breeding season reports from Inglestone Common suggest birds first arrived on April 22nd  with no more than seven singing males noted.

 

1993: (c.15)

Thirteen males were reported singing from Inglestone Common on May 19th;  One was noted at Alveston and another from Almondsbury. (No dates available)

 

1992: (c.17)

At Inglestone Common two were heard on April 26th and on May 16th at least seventeen males were noted.

 

1991: (c.16)

At Inglestone Common six were noted on May 6th with sixteen present on May 17th; One was seen at Shortwood on May 23rd.

 

1990: (c.17)

Males were first noted at Inglestone Common on April 16th in Lower Woods with at least fifteen males during the breeding season; Males were also noted at Tortworth and Lower Hazel Wood at Olveston.

 

1989: (c.10)

At Inglestone Common males were first heard on April 16th with at least ten heard subsequently.

 

1988: (c.17)

One was heard at Old Sodbury on April 25th; At least fifteen singing males were noted at Lower Woods, Inglestone Common in the breeding season; A male was present at Horton Bushes, Elberton.

 

1987: (c.5)

Five were heard in song on Inglestone Common in June.

 

1986: (c.12)

First reports were from Inglestone Common on April 25th with two singing males the at least ten heard here later with son noted until June 24th; Two others were also heard at Willsbridge.

 

1985: (c.5)

One was reported from Willsbridge on April 24th; Four were noted at Inglestone Common on May 11th with song heard up to June 24th.

 

1984: (c.13)

Singing males were reported from April 17th with at least eleven present at Inglestone Common; Two were also noted at Willsbridge.

 

1983: (c.26)

Single males were noted from April 28th with at least 26 at Inglestone Common on May 12th.

 

1982: (c.25)

Singing males were heard from April 23rd and up to 25 noted in May, reported from Midger Wood, Assley Common, Inglestone Common, Lady's Wood and Horton Bushes.

 

1981: (c.15)

Males noted from April 14th with one at Tortworth, twelve at Inglestone Common and two from Elberton.

 

1980: (c.28)

First reports from April 20th with at least twenty-one at Inglestone Common and individuals noted at Duckhole near Thornbury, Hay Wood, Midger Wood, Elberton, Horton Bushes, Ashwick near Marshfield and Stoke Park.

 

1979: (c.9)

Breeding season reports of up to nine with birds noted at Thornbury, Charfield, Kilcott, Inglestone Common and Hawksbury Common.

 

1978: (c.8)

Up to eight singing males were reported from April 23rd at Tortworth, Littleton-on-Severn, Thornbury and Inglestone Common.

 

1977: (c.3)

Breeding season reports from Littleton-on-Severn, Thornbury, Winterbourne Down and Inglestone Common.

 

1976: (c.8)

Reports of up to eight singing males from May 5th onwards from Oldbury-on-Severn, Littleton-on-Severn, Olveston, Tytherington, Inglestone Common, Compton Greenfield, Frampton Cotterell and Winterbourne Down.

 

1975: (c.5)

Reports of up to five singing males at Duckhole near Thornbury, Littleton-on-Severn, Inglestone Common, Horton and Oakford.

 

1974: (c.8)

Reports of up to eight males singing at Inglestone Common, and Elberton.

 

1973: (Unknown)

Singing males were noted from April 21st at Inglestone Common, Thornbury, Littleton-on-Severn, Compton Greenfield and Hallen.

 

1972: (Unknown)

Singing males were reported from April 15th at Shepperdine, Tortworth Lake, Alveston, Inglestone Common, Compton Greenfield, Filton and Stoke Park.

 

1971: (Unknown)

Singing males were reported from Tortworth, Inglestone Common, Cromhall and Hallen.

 

1970: (Unknown)

Singing males were noted at Tortworth, Cromhall, Inglestone Common and Winterbourne Down.

 

1969: (Unknown)

Singing males were reported from April 27th at Littleton-on-Severn, Inglestone Common and Lower Woods. Breeding was proven at Filton and Oakford.

 

1968: (Unknown)

Singing males were noted from April 20th at Littleton-on-Severn and Inglestone Common. Breeding was proven at Hanham Woods and Oakford.

 

1967: (Unknown)

Reports of singing males from Littleton-on-Severn, Inglestone Common and Oakford.

 

1966: (Unknown)

Reports of singing males from Inglestone Common, Frampton Cotterell, Oakford and Filton.

 

1965: (Unknown)

Singing males were noted at only two sites; Frampton Cotterell and Oakford.

 

1963: (Unknown)

Noted only as a summer visitor with no reference to numbers or location.

 

1962: (Unknown)

Noted only as a summer visitor with no reference to numbers or location.

 

HH Davis quotes prior to 1962: A summer resident arriving from the first half of April. Widespread on lower ground where not uncommon in all suitable localities but scarce or absent in open hilly country.

 

©TBOSG November 2005 - All rights reserved