28/10 Greenham Common Western Enclosure

Location: Greenham Common Western Enclosure

Session: 28-Oct-2016 08:00 to 10:50hrs

Headlines: A bright clear morning and sunrise and no fog today. Captured a couple more Redwings today, three actual but one escaped. Goldcrest numbers continue to be good each session and a couple of 2015 Blue Tits. The last Blackcap we captured here was on the 14/10 so the two males captured today were unexpected; the question is are they late summer migrants or wintering birds from northern Europe? We will probably never know. For the last few weeks a lone male Stonechat has been seen regularly around the enclosure and it was nice to finally capture it today. I am not sure if I should continue the intensive ringing here into November. Last year due to the weather I only manage one session in the month and it was a very good capture of 46. The weather though was much colder and we had had a few ground frosts in October. I will see what next week brings and decide then. Usually we switch first priority to the feeders; this year I think we might have a disappointing year but it will be interesting to see what unfolds as the winter progresses.

Weather: Sunny and mild for most of the morning after sunrise, calm

Present: JL, IW, RJC

Nets: 66metres in four rides of 18M, 18M, 12M(thrush net), 18M up from 08:15 to 10:30hrs

Lure (audio): Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Firecrest, Goldcrest, Redwing, Siskin, Redpoll, Yellow-browed Warbler.

Capture (New/Recapture) 16(12/2): Blackcap 2/0, Blue Tit 0/2, Goldcrest 7/0, Redwing 2/0, Stonechat 1/0

Recaptures: 2, both Blue Tits 1y 12d (ringed Peaked Hill nets box 19) and 1y 8d

Age Range: all 1st CY except Blue Tits both adults.

One of today's 1st CY male Blackcaps

The 1st CY male Stonechat

Sightings 32 Species: With a clear sky a few more species seen today. The first substantial flock of Golden Plover I have seen this autumn so far is the best sighting. A good count of Chaffinch all over-flying. I think the Redwings may be roosting over by the bunkers somewhere,  still several flocks flying about but not in yesterday’s numbers.

Blackbird 5+ Blackcap 2 Blue Tit 2+ Bullfinch 2+ Carrion Crow 5+ Chaffinch 24+ Cormorant 1 Dartford Warbler 1+ Dunnock 2+ Goldcrest 7+ Golden Plover 70+ Goldfinch 4+ Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 Great Tit 1+ Green Woodpecker 2+ Grey Wagtail 2+

Jackdaw 13+ Jay 4+ Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 Magpie 3+ Meadow Pipit 4+ Red Kite 1 Redwing 40+ Reed Bunting 3+ Robin 4+ Skylark 2+ Sparrowhawk 1 Starling 2+ Stock Dove 1+ Stonechat 1 Woodpigeon c190 Wren 4+