08/06 Thatcham Marsh LNR CES visit 2025.05

Location: Thatcham Marsh LNR CES Visit 2025.05

Session: 08/06/2025 06:00 to 11:15hrs.

Present: IW,JL,IQ,LC.

Weather: cloudy early clearing to sunny, cool early warm later, light breeze got stronger later.

Nets: 198M long reed bed ride up from 06:30 to 10:30hrs.

Lures (): None

Notes: Another low total, the Reed and Sedge Warbler numbers on the reed bed seem to have dropped, possibly the recent rains have affected them. Five fledgling Reed Warblers ringed, the CES 2024.05 matching visit had no juveniles. The breeding season in 2025 looks to be a little advanced compared to 2024. Other juveniles ringed today were the Whitethroat and Chiffchaff (photos above). We don’t get many Whitethroat on the marsh so not sure where this youngster came from. Expected to get some tit families but just the odd individual detected.

Recaptures: (10)

Reed Warbler ringed: 13/05/2023, 28/05/2023, 11/06/2023, 03/05/2025, 18/05/2025x2,

Sedge Warbler ringed: 13/04/2025, 03/05/2025, 10/05/2025, 18/05/2025.

Sightings: Cuckoo still calling for most of the morning, may have been two. A few Swifts over and

around. Otherwise, nothing of note or unexpected.

31/05 Thatcham Marsh LNR CES Visit 2025.04

Location: Thatcham Marsh LNR CES Visit 2025.04

Session: 31/05/2025 06:00 to 11:15hrs.

Present: JHW,IW,JL,IQ,DL,JA.

Weather: sunny with some cloudy periods, calm, warm.

Nets: one 198M long reed bed ride up from 06:30 to 10:30hrs.

Lures (): None 

 

Notes: Numbers always seem low these days but for recent times this is not always the case as for today’s CES 2025.04 visit where a 28 totals is reasonable. What is different so far this year is that there are few species other than Reed and Sedge Warbler visiting or in the scrub periphery of the site. There were a few Blue and Great Tit about including some recently fledged but not in the numbers once seen and just one juvenile Blue Tit and two juvenile Great Tits ringed. The juvenile Reed Warbler is quite early, these usually start to fledge mid-June. The bird of the session is the Kingfisher, we ring very few now. The last ringed on a CES visit was in 2019, a single bird. Until 2017 we've ringed at least 1 every year since CES started in1993, the maximum ringed in any one year is 10 in 1997, 7 in 2005 and 5 in 2007 and 2012 and for most years 1 to 3 was the norm. Today’s bird is possibly a positive outcome of the damage done by the generating boards winter “road” which has left an open area of dead reed under the east west route of the power line and which the Kingfisher was probably flying along.

Recaptures: (16)

Cetti’s Warbler ringed: 06/10/2024.

Reed Warbler ringed: 21/05/2022, 28/05/2023, 11/06/2023, 23/07/2023, 01/05/2024, 03/05/2025x2, 10/05/2025.

Sedge Warbler ringed: 13/04/2025,03/06/2023, 03/05/2025x2, 10/05/2025, 18/05/2025.

Wren ringed: 06/08/2023

Sightings: The Marsh Harrier that has frequented the area for the last week or so flew towards Lower Farm GP as we put the nets up – seen by IW, JHW. No Water Rail calling this week. A small group of Long-tailed Tits worked north along the scrub tree tops, probably a family party that included fledglings.

18/05 Thatcham Marsh LNR CES Visit 2025.03

Location: Thatcham Marsh LNR CES Visit 2025.03

Session: 18/05/2025 06:00 to 11:15hrs.

Present: JHW,JL,IW,DL.

Weather: bright sunny, cloudy early sunny periods later cool early warm later, calm to light breeze.

Nets: 198M long reed bed ride up from 06:30 to 10:30hrs.

Lures (): None

Juvenile Robin

Notes: The total number processed appeared low at 28 birds, however a check of the totals for visit 3 since 2010 showed the average for this visit to be 32 (range 2017-54 to 2023-17) so a little on the low side of average is not that bad considering that much of the reed along the 1A portion of the ride has been cut and the 3metre or so clearance where the overhead electricity cables bisects the 2A portion of the ride. There appears to have been an influx of new Sedge Warblers since last weeks visit and it was good to get two Reed Bunting in breeding condition; they once bred in numbers on the reed bed but just the occasional pair locate near the net ride in recent times. The first juvenile of the year a Robin for visit 3 is a little early.

Recaptures: (16)

Cetti’s Warbler ringed: 06/10/2024, 13/04/2025

Reed Bunting ringed: 30/06/2024, 06/04/2025.

Reed Warbler ringed: 22/05/2021, 11/06/2023, 11/05/2024, 07/06/2024, 03/05/2025x3, 10/05/2025.

Robin ringed: 10/07/2022, 16/07/2023

Sedge Warbler ringed: 10/05/2025, 13/04/2025

Sightings: The Great White Egret was feeding on the strenear the end the session, once a regular encounter this species in the breeding season is scarce in the area now. The Cuckoos were calling around the marsh for most of the session. Not many butterflies about today and a few demoiselles were on the wing.

10/05 Thatcham Marsh LNR CES Visit 2025.02

Location: Thatcham Marsh LNR CES Visit 2025.02

Session: 10/05/2025 06:00 to 11:15hrs.

Present: JHW,JL,CMD,IW,JA.

Weather: bright sunny, cool early warm later, light breeze.

Nets: 198M long reed bed ride up from 06:30 to 10:30hrs.

Lures (): None.

Today’s Jay

Notes: A reasonable session, the highlight being the Jay, a first ringing for CMD. We trapped a Chaffinch, but it had the start of grotty foot (papilloma varus) making the leg thicker than normal and it could not be ringed. Most birds were in breeding condition though some Reed and Sedge Warblers had not yet developed BPs or CPs. The Blue Tit ringed at St Marks in 2021 is becoming a regular. JHW brought his coffee machine but unfortunately it developed a gas leak, and fire enveloped the burner unit which he manage to put out fortunately.

FG =age indeterminate

Recaptures: (22)

Blue Tit ringed: 19/12/2021 (St Marks Road), 25/08/2024.

Cetti’s Warbler ringed: 30/04/2023, 06/10/2024, 13/04/2025

Chiffchaff ringed: 03/04/2022.

Dunnock ringed: 25/08/2024, 13/04/2025.

Great Tit ringed: 11/05/2024.

Reed Warbler ringed: 21/05/2022, 13/05/2023, 03/06/2023, 11/06/2023x2 02/07/2023, 01/06/2024.

Robin ringed: 10/07/2022

Sedge Warbler ringed: 13/04/2025, 03/05/2025.

Wren ringed: 03/07/2022

Sightings: The Red-legged Partridge (unusual for here) was being harass by two Magpies as

I drove down the track. The Water Rail called from the regenerating reed not the usual place further

up the ride. Four Buzzards soared quite high up, the Swallow was also spotted high up when

watching buzzards. The Oystercatcher flew north at nets down. A good selection of dragonfly and

butterfly on the wing.

03/05 Thatcham Marsh LNR CES visit 2025.01

Location: Thatcham Marsh LNR CES Visit 2025.01

Session: 03/05/2025 06:00 to 11:15hrs.

Present: JHW,IW,JL,RAD,CMD,IEW,NC.

Weather: sunny periods, cool, light breeze.

Nets: 198M long reed bed ride up from 06:30 to 10:30hrs.

Lures ():, None

Notes: The first CES visit of 2025 and a total of 24 looked low and maybe the reed cutting and power line temporary access might be a factor. A look at the first visit totals since we started in 1993 showed the average to be 32 (range 2015 – 10 to 2004 – 63) making this visits 24 total on the low side of average. There was a lack of species visiting  the reed bed periphery such as Chiffchaff, Robin, Blue and Great Tits etc as can be seen by comparing the 2024 matching visit list. Hopefully there are still some acrocephalus warblers to return. Looks like the St Marks Road ringed 2021 Blue Tit has a territory near the reed bed as it was also here on the 14/04/2025; 5 years is a good age for a Blue Tit.

FG =age indeterminate

Recaptures: (08)

Blackbird ringed: 09/04/2023.

Blue Tit   ringed: 19/12/2021 (St Marks Road).

Cetti’s Warbler ringed: 17/04/2022.

Reed Warbler ringed: 21/02/2022, 28/05/2023,11/06/2023, 14/07/2024.

Sedge Warbler ringed: 13/04/2025.

Sightings: The first UK Swift of the year for me but I missed the Swallow, disappeared behind the

trees before I could find it. Several gulls quite high up looked to be feeding on insects.