Invite to help count nightingales at Danbury Commons

The National Trust is looking for help to count the endangered nightingales at Danbury Commons and Blakes Wood.

The ancient woodland is a hotspot for the birds, which can only be found in a small area of southern and eastern England.

Known for their complex songs, the nightingales signal the arrival of warmer days with their singing performances.

Common - Danbury is home to the nightingales as they nest (Image: Credited)

However, nightingales are now one of the UK’s most threatened birds, with populations decreasing by 90 per cent since the 1960’s.

Due to the decrease in numbers, the species now finds itself on the UK red list for conservation.

Throughout the spring and summer seasons, the distinctive sound of the nightingale welcomes anyone who visits Danbury Commons and Blakes Wood as the songbirds arrive from Africa to nest in the woodland.

Help is now needed to better understand the numbers which are present within the woodland.

Although hard to spot, the nightingale's sound can be heard giving more chance of being able to locate them.

Beauty - The common is a sight for sore eyes, filled with amazing scenery (Image: Credited)

Dave Piper, countryside manager for the Essex and Suffolk countryside, said: “The woodland at Danbury Commons and Blakes Wood is really special.

“They are ancient woodland meaning there’s been continuous tree cover here for more than 400 years and the traditional technique of coppicing has been carried out here for centuries. This involves repeatedly cutting trees back to the stump to promote new growth.

 “We know this is a popular spot for nightingales but we’ve never really recorded the numbers before, and we’d really like some help to do this.

“Having a better idea of the population will help us plan our work and know how best to help all nature to thrive.”