When the nightingale sang

Close to my home is an ancient valley fen. As befits a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a local nature reserve, its information board promises a bounty of spring birdsong, from nightingales to reed warblers. The warblers still return every spring but the nightingale’s song is no longer heard. Thirty years ago, there were still several pairs but now they have all gone and it’s unlikely that they will return.

There are several likely reasons for their disappearance. Problems on migration are one, for this is a species whose annual journey involves crossing the Sahara. Degradation of habitat on the wintering grounds in West Africa is another. But though these may be contributory factors, the most probable reason for the lost nightingales is their favoured nesting habitat has been browsed out by deer. The spread of the muntjac in England mirrors the decline of the nightingale and it’s notable that Kent,