10/08 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Western Enclosure (wk32)
Session: 10/08/2022 07:00 to 10:30hrs
Notes: Had intended to start at 07:00hrs and finish at 10:00hrs to avoid the heat of later in the morning but the main gate to the car park was locked and didn’t get on site until the usual time of 07:30hrs, we still finished at 10:00hrs. There seems to be some Chiffchaffs moving through. The lack of Willow Warblers this year is highlighted with 3 ringed when 11 ringed on last year's matching visit. Nice to ring more juvenile Dartford Warbler and Stonechat.
Present: JL,IW,IQ
Weather: sunny, hot, light breeze.
Nets: 48metres 3 Rides, 18M, 18M and 12M up from 07:45 to 10:00 hrs
Lures: Warblers, Misc Migrants, Grasshopper Warbler, Redstart, intermittently.

Recaptures: (none)

Sightings: The peregrine and one or two other species were seen by IW/IQ while I was at the stuck at the gate. Quite a lot of activity in the scrub until the morning began to heat up.

09/08 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Western Enclosure (wk32)
Session: 09/08/2022 07:30 to 11:00hrs
Notes: It got hot early today. A few Willow Warblers and Garden Warblers as expected, it is the peak migration week for the former and numbers for the latter should tail off now. Considering we are not intentionally calling them in four Robins in a 2.5hr session is interesting. Lastly after catching  and or recording my first Chaffinch for a while at the weekend we ringed another male today. Last time we ringed one here was 12th Aug 2019 and I have not detected one around the Western Enclosure since the 7th June 2022; this was once a very common species here!
Present: JL,IW
Weather: sunny, hot, calm.
Nets: 48metres 3 Rides, 18M, 18M and 12M up from 08:00 to 10:30 hrs
Lures: Warblers, Misc Migrants, Grasshopper Warbler, Redstart, intermittently.

1st Summer Lesser Whitethroat

1st Summer Whitethroat

Recaptures: (none)

Sightings: As is often the case IW spotted the Swallows flying through when looking at a Kite, so there were probably other hirundine high up that flew south un-noticed.

07/08 Thatcham Marsh LNR

Location: Thatcham Marsh LNR Non-CES
Session: 07/08/2022 07:00 to 11:30hrs
Notes: A non-CES session today so we used audio lures. Just shows what is lurking in the area this time of year when summer migrants are on passage. Most of the adults ringed were in full primary wing feather moult. We had good numbers of Reed Warbler even though no audio lures were played for this species, but it is possible they were attracted by the calls and songs played of other species. Two of the re-trapped Reed Warblers had been ringed aged 1J (just out of the nest) a couple of weeks ago. Probably the species of the day was Chaffinch, they are almost non-existent at the sites where we go, we ring very few these days.
Present: JL JHW,DL,IW,IQ,NC
Weather: bright, sunny, calm, warm
Nets: 198metres in 1 ride, 18Mx11 reed bed ride up from 06:40 to 10:40 hrs
Lures Audio: BC-GW-LW-CC-WW-WO-FC-GC, TP-YW-WC-RT-SF-W, GH,
Aquatic Warbler (you never know your luck) all  intermittently

Recaptures:(07)

Dunnock            ringed: 01/09/2019

Long-tailed Tit   ringed: 11/04/2021

Reed Warbler    ringed: 25/04/2021, 23/05/2021, 03/07/2022, 23/07/2022x2

Sightings: 37 Bird Species: We were quite busy so we may have missed a species or two.

05/08 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Western Enclosure (wk31)
Session: 05/08/2022 07:30 to 10:44hrs
Notes: The seemed to be some warblers moving about the heath but not many responding to calls, including two Lesser Whitethroat that were in the enclosure with Dartford Warblers at nets down.
Present: JL,IW
Weather: bright sunny, warm, light breeze.
Nets: 48metres 3 Rides, 18M, 18M and 12M up  from 08:00 to 10:30 hrs
Lures: Warblers, Misc Migrants, Grasshopper Warbler, Redstart, intermittently.

Recaptures: (none)

Sightings: The Tree Pipit must have been called in by the audio and was on the ground just to the east of the enclosure when we disturbed it on a walk-round, unfortunate. No big gulls today and few butterflies. Ian briefly saw a large dragonfly, but we could not find it to ID it; not many dragon and damselflies seen on the wing here so far this season

04/08 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Western Enclosure (wk31)
Session: 04/08/2022 07:30 to 10:50hrs
Notes: A reasonable session for this, so far, low number season. No Chiffchaff today and a trickle of migrant Blackcap, Garden Warbler and Willow Warbler with a lone Whitethroat.
Present: JL,IW,IQ
Weather: bright sunny, warm, light breeze.
Nets: 48metres 3 Rides, 18M, 18M and 12M up  from 08:00 to 10:30 hrs
Lures: Warblers, Misc Migrants, Grasshopper Warbler, Redstart, intermittently.

Recaptures: (none)

Sightings: Another quiet morning, difficult to assess Dartford Warbler and Stonechat numbers as both species quite mobile today. Nice to see a very fresh looking Painted Lady