Wednesday 10 May 2017

10/05 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Western Enclosure
Session: 10-May-2017 06:30 to 10:30hrs
Headlines: Thought I would take a break from ringing pulli and try my luck at the enclosure; last week my attempt to ring there produced no birds. So today’s six birds was better than I anticipated. While putting the nets up I captured a Chiffchaff and a Blackcap. Next round had one bird, a Garden Warbler that had been ringed as a juvenile last year; 288 days ago. For the last week or so there have been at least two family parties of Stonechat around the perimeter and in particular a dark male with large patches of white that looks interesting. He arrived on the fence with a family party in toe; a female and five juveniles. They spread around the enclosure, perched in front and on the nets, at one time four perched along the top shelf. I tried to persuade them to get captured but they eventually moved off. Ever hopeful I was back in the enclosure soon and there were two juvenile Stonechats in the net. I processed these and retrieved a third from the nets soon after. They were not from the dark male’s family as far as I could tell since I saw two ringed juveniles being fed by a female , a little later with a “normal” looking male nearby. Unfortunately that was it for the session and I spent the rest of the morning birding in the immediate area until nets down at 10:0hrs
Weather: Bright, sunny, cool slight frost, calm, breezy later.
Present: JL
Nets: 48metres in three rides of 18M, 18M and 12M up from 06:45 until 10:00hrs
Lure (none):
Capture (New/Recapture)
6(5/1)

Species code
New
Rtp
Adult
juvenile
BLACA
1

1

CHIFF
1

1

GARWA

1
1

STOCH
3


3
 

Recaptures: Just the Garden Warbler ringed as a juvenile here 26-Jul-2016

 The Garden Warbler ringed last year
One of the juvenile Stonechats ringed today.
Sightings 36 Species: Several Swifts flying about was new for this end of the common this year ; saw two copulating in mid-air. A rattling Lesser Whitethroat was the first for me at this end of the common. No Wrens heard or seen! Apart from Whitethroat and Willow Warbler not a lot of song from other species. A Mistle Thrush gathering small morsels was probably for a second brood. Adrian came by on his survey, having seen a Ring Ouzel and a Yellow Wagtail earlier. I looked for them on the way out but no sign.

No comments: