Fabulous Nightjar at Minsmere

On Sunday 25th August, after an initally perplexing tweet saying there was a Nightjar at Minsmere showing near Reception by the time was 8 minutes in the future so I initially disregarded it, it was only after 2 pics were tweeted from David W & Tim O. that I leapt into action and took 4 different camera set ups and drove down to Minsmere arriving just after 1pm. I've always wanted to see and photograph a daytime Nightjar, I have never seen them during the daytime since I have had my cameras (1997 onwards) and only seen one once during the daytime at mid distance at a locality not far from Minsmere with Ricky in the early 1980s. At Reception, I was warned there was quite a crowd and the path was the one between the toilets and the old car park. But it wasn't too bad with a few people perched on the bank opposite and there was a gap between Chris D. and Andrew M., so I set up the tripod and the 500mm lens with 1.4 converter and after Chris kindly stated exactly where it was, the fantastic female Nightjar, barely 10 metres away on a dead pale branch and showing extremely well in the sunshine. It was facing left and was facing right almost head on, it was asleep then it opened its eye and occasionally stretched its head. Later on its streteched its wing and moved right briefly before regaining its normal pose. Another time it yawned showing and extremely wide gape adapted to hover up all the flying insects and then suddenly at just after 3pm, it took off and flew north- west and out of sight over the trees. I then struggled with all the camera bags to the pond and almost immediately 2 young Water Voles were swimming around and feeding on their dreys. I managed a few shots and then a crowd gathering at the beginning of the boardwalk revealed a greenish Common Lizard on the wooden ridge showing well so I obtained a few pics before finally I saw a second Common Lizard be the wooden path leading west. I also saw a Small Heath butterfly, my first of the year. News of a Little Stint seen from the East Scrape would normally have me walking over promptly, but I just couldn't carry all 4 cameras & lenses over there, so it was back to the car.