04/11 Greenham Common

This will probably be my last posting until we get to the other side whenever that might be. 

Might ring a few in the garden. I have not ringed at home for a year or two as the numbers visiting the feeders are very low these days.

Location: Greenham Common Western Enclosure Week 45
Session: 04-Nov-2020, 07:35 to 11:30hrs
Notes: Possibly the last session this year at the enclosure. I had hoped that the last intact project would be unaffected by the pandemic, but the second lockdown has put pay to that. I usually ring here into December but the unsettled weather from mid-November usually makes regular sessions all but impossible. Todays session produced five birds, would have been six but a Chiffchaff managed to extract itself and fly off as we attempted to remove it. The two Blackcaps are quite late, the latest so far are two, week 48 in 2019; they could be arriving winterers.

Present:  JL,IW,PHD

Weather: Bright sunny, calm, cold with an early frost
(wouldn’t you know the weather would become more ringing friendly now we are in lockdown).
Nets: 48metres in 3 net rides, two 18M and a 12M net up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs
Lure (Audio): BC-CC-FC-CC, Autumn, Thrushes, SK-LR, Yellow-browed Warbler intermittently.

Recaptures: (none)
Sightings 32 Species: IW’s list, I was occupied by other matters, would have liked to have seen the Brambling though.

26 & 28/10 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Western Enclosure Week 44
Session: 26-Oct-2020, 07:50 to 10:40hrs, 28-Oct-2020, 07:30 to 10:45Hrs

Notes: It looks like migration on Greenham Common has all but ended. On Monday 26th we captured a single Redwing. With very little sign of any avian activity on the heath, we finished at 10:30hrs. On the 28th again there was little activity, we capture three birds, mid-session and a Lesser Redpoll on the next net round The first ringed since 2018. From 2011 to 2016 our capture for this species varied between 113 to 448 each year. In 2017 they stopped coming this far south, staying nearer their breeding grounds in the winter according to other ringers from the midlands and further north. The species we are usually ringing in good numbers this time of year is Goldcrest. In weeks 43 and 44 we usually capture double figure numbers each session at this site. Most ringed this autumn so far have the shorter wings of local birds (50 to 54mm wing length) The northern birds that usually winter on the heath have wing lengths up to 57mm. Hopefully they are running late, and we will see more of them next week.

Lesser Redpoll 1st CY male

Present:  JL,IW
Weather: Condition for both sessions similar: cool and mostly overcast, west southwest breeze, perhaps a bit better light and slightly less breezy on the 28th.
Nets: 48metres in 3 net rides, two 18M and a 12M net up from 08:00 to 10:30hrs both sessions
Lure (Audio): BC-CC-FC-CC, Autumn, Thrushes, SK-LR, Yellow-browed Warbler intermittently.

Recaptures: (none)

23/10 Greenham Common

 Location: Greenham Common Western Enclosure Week 43
Session: 23-Oct-2020, 07:50 to 10:100hrs

Notes: The early morning rain diminished to light spotting at about 07:45 so I went over to the enclosure to check conditions and were I met IW. As the forecast showed it to be clearing for a while we decided to put nets up. Looks as if we might have had a reasonable crest capture as we had captured five before rain stopped play. The thirtieth Redwing of the season is the best ever total here and experience shows a good chance of some more into November subject to the weather.

Present:  JL,IW
Weather: Rain early, stopped about 08:00hrs, cloudy with some bright periods, south-westerly breeze, cool, began to rain just before 10:00hrs and heavy rain showing on the rain radar.
Nets: 48metres in 3 net rides, two 18M and a 12M net up from 08:00 to 10:00hrs
Lure (Audio): BC-CC-FC-CC, Autumn, Thrushes, SK-LR, Yellow-browed Warbler intermittently.

Recaptures: (one) Goldcrest ringed 13/10/2020
Sightings 28 Species: More Redwings through and two good flocks of Fieldfares before the rain came. A possible movement of Cormorant south as none of the usual returnees seen before we left.

22/10 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Western Enclosure Week 43 

Session: 22-Oct-2020, 07:45 to 11:20hrs 

Notes: Conditions not good with a blustery wind. Did catch another Redwing though. Apart from Blue Tit singles of the other species 

Present: JL, 

Weather: Sunny periods, cool, blustery westerly breeze, some rain spotting 

Nets: 48metres in 3 net rides, two 18M and a 12M net up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs 

Lure (Audio): BC-CC-FC-CC, Autumn, Thrushes, SK-LR, Yellow-browed Warbler intermittently.

Recaptures: (none) Sightings 28 Species: Fewer Redwings flying about, in groups of three or four and a single Fieldfare over south. Good views of both Dartford Warblers; a male and a female, following the Stonechats.

 

19/10 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Western Enclosure Week 42
Session: 19-Oct-2020, 07:45 to 11:20hrs
Notes: No Redwings  ringed today, a few were about but didn’t respond to calls. Still some Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests to ring and a Coal Tit was unexpected. Nice to catch up with Jone A.
Present:  JL,IW
Weather: Sunny periods, cool, calm, breezy from the south east towards the end of the session..
Nets: 48metres in 3 net rides, two 18M and a 12M net up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs
Lure (Audio): BC-CC-FC-CC, Autumn, Thrushes, SK-LR, Yellow-browed Warbler intermittently.

Recaptures: (one) Goldcrest ringed 12/10/2020
Sightings 36 Species: A couple of twenty something flocks of Fieldfare over west only showed a mild fleeting interest in their calls as did the Redwings. The Sparrowhawk was skulking along the tree margin of the wood. Missed a few finch types flying east as they were black blobs against the light. Some that we did manage to get some colour on proved to be Meadow Pipits, Chaffinches or Linnets.