25/06 Thatcham Marsh LNR

Location: Thatcham Marsh LNR CES 17.06
Session: 25-Jun-2017 05:30 to 10:30hrs

Headlines: With few Acrocephalus calling or singing on the reed bed expectations were low but we didn’t do to bad. 32 in the standard nets is less than the 41 average for visit 06; range 2014-23 1995-67. Many were juveniles including the first Sedge Warbler; the first juvenile Reed Warbler was captured last weekend when we did a truncated extra visit. It was meant to be a ride tidying up visit but we suffered a plant failure so we put some nets up instead. On this visit just 3 Sedge Warbler, all juveniles, is well below the average of 8 for visit 06, range 2014-17 2000-81. A Reed Warbler capture of 16 is down on the 20 average; range 2014-7 1995-34. As we are half way through the season a look at the chart showing cumulative totals for the two species for visits 01 to 06 shows a bit of a recovery from the 2014 crash. The period of cold wet early June weather that has occurred for some years now is having a long term effect on our Reed and Sedge Warbler numbers I think!

I had forgotten how bad 2014 was.
The 2016 matching visit below although it looks down on this year is actually a little up as we only put up the standard nets on the visit last year and so it is 2017-32 v 2016-35.
We mowed the ride after nets down; plant having been re-tuned..  
Weather: Sunny periods, warm  and breezy and affected the capture as the breeze was seen to roll a few birds out of the nets
Present: JL, IW, JHW, GB
Nets: 210 Metres, 198M standard net ride on the reed bed and 12M in one ride scrub; net up from 06:10 to 10:15hrs
Lure (none):
Capture (New/Recapture)

41(30/11)  35(22/13) visit 2016.06 26-Jun-2016 Species New Retrap Juv Adult BLABI 1 1 BLACA 3 2 1 BLUTI 3 3 BULLF 1 1 CETWA 1 2 1 2 CHIFF 4 4 DUNNO 2 2 2 2 REEWA 10 6 7 9 SEDWA 3 3 WREN 3 3 Species New Retrap Juv Adult BLACA 2 CETWA 3 3 3 CHIFF 2 1 2 2 GARWA 1 1 1 LOTTI 2 2 2 REEBU 1 REEWA 6 9 4 4 SEDWA 5 2 6 6 TREEC 1 1 1 Recaptures: (11) Cetti’s Warbler 1y76d, 302d Bullfinch 280d Dunnock 3y290d, 1y7d Reed Warbler 1y342d, 1y34d; others recent. Sightings 42 Species: Not so much moving today as the last two visits. Probably missed a few individuals. Best bird a female Sparrowhawk; not seen many this year.