Nightjars & Cocktails Experience

Join us for an absolutely unique wildlife experience, irresistibly partnered with our own home-grown Hepple Spirits. Nightjars are a rare and fascinating nocturnal bird that only visit the UK for a few months of the year. At Hepple we are very fortunate to have some returning birds and we are running a very select number of small-group tours to try and see and listen to these birds, as well as enjoying a special evening cocktail. Book now to avoid missing out! 

At a glance

• Arrive for a 21:00 start, finishing around 11pm with drinks included
• An introduction to our landscape-scale project and nightjar ecology, cocktail or soft drink in hand
  
• Guided drive & walk across the estate to an area known for nightjar activity to give ourselves the best chance of finding one
• Some uneven ground and variable weather conditions may apply! 

Group at Hepple over sunset - a great time to be out listening for nighjar

Event Overview

Starting at around 9pm, you will be welcomed to the fireside with a special cocktail or mocktail, as well as tea or coffee and a local sweet treat. The event will include a short introduction to the estate, our ethos and our wildling management methods, before a talk on nightjars in the UK and how best to find them. 

Nightjars are nocturnal birds that are incredibly camouflaged during the day. They are a summer visitor to the British Isles, usually arriving in May from areas of Central Africa. They don't hang around for long and are already departing by late August - your chance to see (or hear them!) is slim. During targeted surveys in 2025 we found good numbers of nightjar on the estate, and around our boundaries, and we are very hopeful that they will return from Africa in good numbers this year. You can read more about our Nightjar surveys on our April Blog.

Following the briefings we will head out in our classic Land Rover for a drive across the estate to an area where we can walk and hopefully find some nightjar. The ultimate aim is to hear the famous Nightjar Churr. This is the song of the male and it's a truly unique sound in nature - a bucket list experience for anyone interested in nature. Spotting the birds themselves is very hard as they are an elusive species (and it's dark!) but we will try our best. Wildlife is just that - wild! We cannot guarantee wildlife sightings but will do our best to give you a taste of our wilderness, and the nature of these fabulous birds. 

Nightjar in flight on the estate (2025)

Your Guide

This event will be led by our in-house Ecologist & Guide, Richard Thompson. Richard grew up roaming the hills around Hepple before heading to Scotland where he gained a master's degree in Conservation and worked as nature-guide in the Scottish Highlands. After returning to his Northumberland roots Richard worked as a professional ecologist before joining the team here at Hepple. Richard is outdoor first-aid trained and is a Hill & Moorland Leader, a qualification that focuses on group management and upland navigation. When not leading our events, Richard can be found conducting various monitoring jobs across the estate including bird & plant surveys, and his favourite, fungi forays. Richard led the Nightjar surveys at Hepple in 2025 and has had numerous years of survey experience with this delightful bird. 

Richard, Hepple Guide - Cal Thompson / This is Northumberland

Additional Information

Please note that this event includes periods of rough walking. Please come prepared.

Headtorches must be brought and ideally will have a red-light setting.

We would strongly encourage bringing:

• Sturdy boots or comfortable wellies
• Binoculars
• Backpack with water bottle
• A warm/waterproof coat or jacket
• Waterproof trousers if it's forecast for rain

If you can leave them in the car so much the better! The weather in the Upper Coquet valley can be very changeable so please come prepared for anything. While we will aim to head out whatever the weather, if the forecast ahead of the event does look especially awful or hazardous, we will contact you to offer a full refund or a booking on an alternative date.

If you need to cancel your booking we can offer a full refund/rebooking to guests up to two weeks before the event. After this time we may not be able to offer you a refund but will aim to do so if we can resell your ticket. If Hepple Wilds need to cancel the event for any reason, we will offer a full refund or reschedule the event.

Unfortunately this event is not currently accessible for wheelchair users or those with physical disabilities that may prevent them from prolonged walking in the outdoors over rough terrain. As we progress with our nature engagement plans, we aim to be able to host more accessible experiences.

In addition, this event is not dog friendly. We may be able to host pooches on our private/bespoke days, with prior arrangement.

On booking you should be asked about your dietary requirements and any special interests you might have. Please get in touch if you think we need to know anything else.

We look forward to welcoming you to our home and to the beautiful Hepple Wilds.

The estate at dusk