Nightjar

One anticipates looking for nightjars on warm early summer evenings but they haven't arrived as yet so around sunset last night I risked the strong chance of cool showers and paid a visit to my usual site within the forest near Cellefrouin. There were no birds to be seen or heard at that location but I did have my best views ever of a nightjar as I was driving there. I have seen these birds sitting in the middle of the road before but I almost had to do an emergency stop to avoid running over this individual and he remained sitting in front of the car, dazzled by the headlights for a good two minutes, his large eye reflecting the beam. His cryptic plumage was of little use to him on the tarmac although he looked very similar to the short piece of a branch which he was lying next to; perhaps he had confused it for his mate.