areas are cleared and restocked simultaneously, an effect much like that of the original planting in the 1920s and 1930s will result and before this matures the Nightjar will run out of suitable clearings. It would therefore be preferable to stagger replanting and accommodate other preferences of this bird, such as size and shape of clearing. Acknowledgements Without the help of employees of SWT and members of SOG during the annual surveys this paper would not have been possible. Unfortunately, they are too numerous to list here. The survey owes much of the late M. Cavanagh and was organised as part of the Sandlings Project of SWT of which C. Fitzgerald, E. Fish, M. Rose and Dr M. Auld are to be thanked for their involvement. I am also grateful to D. Moore, Director of SWT, for the opportunity to write this paper. Thanks are due to the Forestry Commission, especially the late Martin Sayer, for maps of restocked plantations and additional information. J. Sorensen (RSPB) and C. Waller (NCC) supplied additional information.
References Berry, R. 1979. Nightjar habitats and breeding in East Anglia. Brit. Birds. 72:207-218. Bruenner, K. 1978. Two-year study of a population of the European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus in Northern Bavaria. Anz. Omithol. Ges. Bayern. 17:281-292. Cadbury, C. J. 1981. Nightjar census methods. Bird Study. 28: 1-4. Fitzgerald, C., Martin. D. and Auld, M. 1986. The Sandlings project 1983-1985. Unpublished ms., Suffolk Wildlife Trust. Saxmundham. Gribble, F. C. 1983. Nightjars in Britain and Ireland in 1981. Bird Study. 30: 165-176. Hill. M O. 1979. The development of a flora in even aged plantations. In The ecology of even-aged foresi plantations. (Eds E. D. Ford. D. C. Malcolm and J. Atterson), pp. 175-192. Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Cambridge. Lack. D. C. 1932. Some breeding habits of the European Nightjar. Ibis. 74:266-284. Payn. W. H. 1962. The birds of Suffolk. Ancient House, Ipswich. Ravenscroft, N. O. M. 1989. The status and habitat of the Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus in coastal Suffolk. Bird Study, (in press). Ticehurst, C. B. 1932. A history of the birds of Suffolk. Gurney and Jackson, London.
TABLE I: The numbers of Nightjars recorded from heaths and plantations of the Sandlings 1981-1987. 1981 + Heathland Sutton and Hollesley Minsmere Dunwich Westleton Walberswick Martlesham and Purdis Snape Warren Other (three sites) Tunstall and Blaxhall Sub-total Plantations Rendlesham Tunstall Dunwich Sub-total Total % heathland % plantations
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
12 15
11 18 3 5 5 3 3 6 5 59
14 20 3 6 5 3
4 55
17 13 3 5 5 3 1 2 3 52
14 7 7 28 87 68 32
19 10 7 36 91 60 40
25 11 5 41 93 56 44
18 7 *
*
2 2
4 3
14 15 2 3 3
*
*
*
*
30
2 1 4 41
1 0 3 4 34 88 12
0 5 5 46 89 11
1 *
*
*
2 4 43 *
4 4 8 51 84 16
* #
+ BTO census * no data available.
N. O. B. Ravenscroft, c/o The Suffolk Wildlife Trust. Park Cottage, Saxmundham. 32