02/07 Thatcham Marsh LNR

Location: Thatcham Marsh LNR CES visit  2017.07
Session: 02-Jul-2017 05:30 to 10:20hrs
Headlines: A text from Ian saying his car had failed did not bode to well. Arrangements were made to pick him up a 05:15hrs complete with plank for the bridge and ringing equipment. A slightly earlier start was required and on leaving at about 05:05 it began to rain and continued to do so until we arrived at Thatcham Marsh. A quick check of the “rain radar” showed it to be the tail of a rainy front further north and that it would soon stop with no further rain on the horizon. Bridge in place, rain stopped and nets up by 06:00hrs, better than we often do at situation normal. 32 in the standard nets is below the average of 55 for the seventh visit; range 2008 28 1993/5 109. A blustery wind didn’t help but the fact that the reed bed was very quiet is more telling! Visit 07 is usually one of our busiest and is when most juvenile acrocephalus fledge. The few surviving Reed and Sedge Warbler juveniles captured showed it to have been a tough period for them as most had heavily fault barred wing and tail feathers, formed during the recent heavy rain when growth arrested due to lack of food. On the plus side we seem to have had a good Bullfinch year. One or two however had early signs of “grotty foot” and were released un-ringed. After a difficult start it turned into a pleasant session even though the capture was disappointing.
Weather: Cloudy and overcast early, sunny period’s later, breezy, cool warm later,
Present: JL, IW, JHW, DL
Nets: 210 Metres, 198M standard net ride on the reed bed and 30M in two scrub rides; net up from 06:00 to 10:00hrs
Lure (none):
Capture (New/Recapture)

39(25/14) Standard Nets 32(20/12) Standard and scrub nets	40(31/9) matching visit 2016.07 (03-Jul-2016)  Standard Nets no scrub nets erected
Species New Retrap Juv Adult BLABI 1 1 BLACA 2 2 BLUTI 1 1 BULLF 2 2 2 2 CHIFF 2 2 DUNNO 1 1 GRETI 1 1 REEWA 8 8 9 7 ROBIN 1 1 2 SEDWA 4 1 4 1 WREN 4 4	Species New Retrap Juv Adult BLACA 4 3 1 BLUTI 1 1 CETWA 2 2 3 1 CHIFF 2 2 DUNNO 1 1 REEWA 9 6 7 8 ROBIN 2 2 SEDWA 6 6 WHITE 3 3 WILWA 1 1 WREN 1 1

Recaptures: (14) Blue Tit 2y354d Bullfinch 2y088d, 273d Great Tit 2y039d Reed Warbler 1y362dx2, 1y028d; others recent.

Sightings 42 Species: Many species are beginning to moult, are quiet, become skulking and harder to detect. Probably the best species of the day: a fly-over calling Common Sandpiper and a Marsh Tit, a species once quiet common around the reed bed but now rarely heard or seen. Other species of note: a female Sparrowhawk also seen last visit and probably more visible hunting to feed a brood somewhere nearby.