02/11 Greenham Common Western Enclosure

Location: Greenham Common Western Enclosure
Session: 02-Nov-2016 07:30 to 10:50 hrs

Headlines: It was bright clear cold sunshine this morning, a complete contrast to yesterday’s foggy, dank day. Four Goldcrest captured on the first round, two already ringed, so I expected them to be yesterday’s birds. Not quite yesterdays but one was ringed 6 days ago. The other very shiny new ring proved difficult to read in the bright sun. Eventual Ian and I realised it was a foreign ring and after some difficulty manage to get the number and that the ring had been issued by the Stavanger Museum, Norway. This little bird weighing 5.2 grams had flown not only across half the UK but also the North Sea from somewhere in Norway. We expected that the Goldcrest we were catching were from further north and maybe Europe now we have definite evidence. It will be interesting to know just where in Norway but we will probably have to wait a while. Another good Goldcrest capture; this year since July we have processed 87 to date: 93(2015), 37 (2014). Two more of the late migrant/winter visitor Blackcaps captured today also a Bullfinch and a Woodpigeon that did not get away before we could get to it. It was well pocketed so we had to ring it! Apart from the above, not much response to audio today, not really surprising as there were few winter finches or thrushes about. There was some interest from Meadow Pipit but none captured, maybe tomorrow.

Weather: Sunny, bright, mostly calm with occasional gusting, cold early warm later in the radiated heat from the sun.
Present: JL, IW, DL
Nets: 48metres in three rides of 18M, 18M, 12M up from 07:50 to 10:30hrs.
Lure (audio): Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Firecrest, Goldcrest, Redwing, Siskin, Redpoll, Meadow Pipit intermittently.
Capture (New/Recapture) 14 (12/2):

SPNAME	New Bird	Retrap	1st CY	Adult
Blackcap	2		2
Bullfinch	1		1
Goldcrest	8	2	10
Woodpigeon	1			1

Recaptures: (2) Goldcrest one ringed 6 days ago and one ringed with a Stavanger (Norwegian) ring. So we know that some of the Goldcrest come from Norway; it will be interesting to see where.

Todays 1st CY male Bullfinch

The Woodpigeon that would not get away!

Sightings 33 Species: In better clearer weather conditions more species seen today. Best birds four Ravens flying north, also after a few weeks absence a Mistle Thrush