17/07 Greenham common

Location: Greenham Common - Western Enclosure wk 2026 wk29-Fri

Session: 17/07/2026 07:40 to 10:30hrs

Present: IW, JL.

Weather: clear sunny, hot, calm, light breeze later.

Nets: 48metres 3 Rides, up from 08:00 to 10:10 hrs.

Lures audio: (BC-CC-FC-GC-GW-WH-LW-WO),(W-WC-RT-SF-TP-YW),(GH),(RT), intermittently.

Firecrest: a juvenile – eye strip just becoming visible.

Notes: Another session that included a good variety of species. Reed Warblers are unusual here but not unknown and a definite sign that migration is underway.

Recaptures: (0)

Sightings: Some of the Swallows were buzzing the female Sparrowhawk quite high up. Dartford Warbler quite active singing and calling for a while. Apart from Gatekeepers not much butterfly activity. The only dragonfly species seen was to fast through to ID, except that it was a medium size individual. 

14/07 Greenham Common

 Location: Greenham Common - Western Enclosure wk 2026 wk29-Tue

Session: 14/07/2026 07:40 to 10:30hrs

Present: IW, JL.

Weather: overcast, warm, blustery breeze.

Nets: 48metres 3 Rides, up from 08:00 to 10:10 hrs.

Lures audio: (BC-CC-FC-GC-GW-WH-LW-WO),(W-WC-RT-SF-TP-YW),(GH),(RT), intermittently.

Whinchat: a juvenile female, although the primary wing and tail feathers were very worn and battered when they should have been fresh. Aged on disseminated feather structure generally, the breast was devoid of feathers and the skin very fresh with no sign of a “healing” brood patch, also sparse feather growth to the underside of wing at the “elbow”

Notes: There was a blustery wind for much of the session and some birds bounced out of the nets including a Dartford Warbler. Think we would have ringed a few more birds otherwise. The Whinchat was the first ever for me and the fourth bird ringed by the group since its inception in 1967; one ringed in 2005 at Crookham Common(JPM) two ringed at Thatcham Marsh - one in the late 1960s and another there in 2007(IW).  Willow Warbler and to lesser extent Chiffchaff numbers are very low compared to previous years. Numbers of the former should be increasing and usually peak in couple of weeks’ time before tailing off to the last few stragglers mid-August. This year we have only ringed one Willow Warbler so far and have not detected any at this end of the common since week 25 when the only individuals was ringed.

Recaptures: (1)

Blue Tit ringed: 25/06/2024

Sightings: There seemed to be a movement of feeding Swifts over quite high, so we probably missed some, they were flying into the wind (North) which seems counterintuitive since they should be migrating south. The Cormorants were heading towards Lower Farm after feeding somewhere south of here. Also of note as I left the common were two Rooks on the grassland near the Control Tower – a scarce species in my perception in recent years; I know of only one Rookery near Newbury this year. About 150+ Starlings were also there.

 

12/07 Thatcham Marsh LNR

Location: Thatcham Marsh LNR CES Visit 2026.08

Session:     12/07/2026 06:00 to 11:00hrs

Present:      JHW, IW, JL.

Weather:    overcast early clear later, breezy, warm then hot.

Nets: 192M net along the reed bed ride (net1A & 2A) + 1 12M rides set in scrub (site B) up from 06:30 to 10:30hrs.

Lures:   (none)

                        

Robberfly probably Slender Footed or Awl species.

Notes: Fewer Reed Warblers than expected particularly juveniles. It seems there are fewer birds of all species on and around the reed bed this year. It will be interesting to see if the lower ringing totals for 2026 apply locally or nationally. We may get some idea of this over the remaining CES visits as many of the warbler species encountered then are stop-overs from elsewhere on their way south. Also of note is that the phragmites growth is especially vigerous, presumably due to the hot weather, and the adjacent reed is higher than the top of the misnets along the reed bed ride so some birds flying towards the scrub fly over and miss the nets.

    Recaptures: (08)

    Cettis Warbler ringed: 13/06/2026.

    Dunnock ringed: 02/08/2025, 04/07/2026.

    Reed Warbler ringed: 02/05/2026, 31/05/2026.

    Robin ringed: 04/07/02026.

    Wren ringed: 21/06/2026, 28/06/2026.

Sightings: Another quiet session - few birds scrub. Some small blue damselflies on the wing but never got round to a specific ID; probably Common or Azure or maybe both.

10/07 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common - Western Enclosure wk 2026 wk28-Fri

Session: 10/07/2026 07:40 to 10:30hrs

Present: IW, JL, KMB.

Weather: bright sunny, very hot, light breeze.

Nets: 48metres 3 Rides, up from 08:00 to 10:10 hrs closed early due to the heat.

Lures audio: (BC-CC-FC-GC-GW-WH-LW-WO),(W-WC-RT-SF-TP-YW),(GH),(RT), intermittently.

Notes: Not a bad morning by this year’s standards. The second Lesser Whitethroat of the year and a few more Blackcaps and Garden Warblers; the latter should start moving through back to winter quarters over the next two or three weeks; Blackcaps passage doesn't usually peak until late August. We stopped at around 10:00hrs as it started to get very hot, also the birds seen earlier flying about had disappeared, presumably retired to the shade.

Recaptures: (00)

 

Sightings: First a male Sparrowhawk seen flying SSW carrying prey, a little later a female was soaring near a Red Kite. Once it started getting very hot most birds disappeared presumably into cover. 

07/07 Greenham Common

 Location: Greenham Common - Western Enclosure wk 2026 wk28-Tue

Session: 07/07/2026 07:40 to 10:55hrs

Present: IW, JL.

Weather: bright sunny, hot, breezy.

Nets: 48metres 3 Rides, up from 08:00 to 10:30 hrs

Lures audio: (BC-CC-FC-GC-GW-WH-LW-WO),(W-WC-RT-SF-TP-YW),(GH),(RT), intermittently.

The first Lesser Whitethroat of 2026 here. After re-consulting the ID guide (Svensson) and checking the photos decided it to be an adult just starting its main moult. The deciding factor was the whitish eye crescent of the top portion of the iris just discernible in this photo. Juveniles birds have a plain brown iris and no crescent. 

Notes: The forecast was for the beginning of another extra hot period and so it was, particularly towards the end of the session. The capture was much as expected though we are usually getting a few Willow Warblers now; these are notably absent for the time of year including no singing males except on the first visit in week 25. Once it became uncomfortably hot, around 10:00hrs it was noticeable that bird activity over and about the site dropped.

Recaptures: (00)

Sightings: A family party of Stonechats were in the enclosure as we arrived to put the nets up. At least two Dartford Warbler active for much of the session including some song. IW spotted the Swifts high-up towards Newbury.