The Sandlings, things that go "churrrrrr" in the night

On our way to Denmark and Sweden we camped in an area called The Sandlings in East Suffolk. This is an area of heath, arable farming and woodland with it's own particular habitats.

Perhaps it's most well known inhabitant is the Nightjar. These are peculiar nocturnal birds; threatened summer visitors to the UK which make an unearthly "churring" call at night. We heard them from our campsite. If you get the chance to "twitch" a nightjar, take it. There's nothing quite like it.

The picture of a Nightjar below is actually one netted and ringed at Timble Ings in North Yorkshire recently. Photo by Andy Jowett.

On a night-time trip to the gents I nearly stepped on this chap. It's either a Common/Smooth newt or a Palmate newt (hard to tell apart I'm told) although the acid heath habitat points toward the latter. Newts have a terrestrial stage in late summer when they go wandering abroad on land at night after things to eat. This newt is having rather a thin time in an empty sandwich box prior to being returned quickly to where I found it.

Find out more about newts and other reptiles and amphibians at the Herpetological Conservation Trust.