NIGHTINGALES are only in England for about three months but people are being offered the chance to hear and probably see these secretive birds from tomorrow during a guided walk.

Cotswold Water Park near Cricklade is hosting a series of walks to spot the elusive males, whose famous singing will be heard for just the next three weeks before they fall mainly silent.

Nightingales arrived in the park last Friday after wintering in Africa and wardens have already ringed two of them to record their visit.

The birds love the dense thickets and scrub and clumps of bushes like blackthorn that grow in the older sites of the park.

Cotswold Water Park Society's biodiversity officer Gareth Harris said: "The birds are singing loudly as they are desperate to attract mates. They will keep singing until the middle to end of May.

"We are holding the walks every Sunday and Wednesday until May 16 and there should be every chance of both hearing and seeing them."

The birds fly back to Africa between July and September.

People on the one to two-hour guided walks may also hear warblers such as the blackcap, the garden warbler, the reed warbler, the sedge warbler and the chiffchaff.

All the walks take place at 7pm, apart from the walk on May 2 which starts at 9am.

Book a place by calling 01285 861459 quoting the booking reference number below. The meeting place details will be given then.

Catherine Turnbull