26/09 Greenham Common Western Enclosure

Location: Greenham Common Western Enclosure
Session: 26-Sep-2017 07:30 to 11:30hrs
Headlines: Busy day today, 111 birds captured that kept us busy; we captured about 87 in one go so even busier! It took us three visits to empty the nets. My 30 bird-bags are normally sufficient but not today. One or two more birds may have been captured between each of the three visits but not many. The Long-tailed Tit members of the flock included 8 ringed when a flock of 28 was captured on the 31-May-2017. The big capture included a late Willow Warbler, a rare opportunity to ring Chaffinch and two Stonechats. I have been playing Yellow-browed Warbler on each of the recent visits, not that optimistic since one was seen today at the eastern end of the common apparently; maybe tomorrow. Without checking this is the biggest capture at the Western Enclosure that I can remember. When I first ringed the enclosure back in June 2010 I had many visit where I capture no birds or just one or two, glad I persisted. At this time of year there are few visits where nothing interesting  happens or turns up, so can't keep away if the weather is suitable. 
Weather: overcast, clearing, calm
Present: JL, IW
Nets: 66metres in four rides of 18M, 18M, 12M, 18M up from 07:45 to 1:00hrs
Lure (audio): Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Firecrest, Willow Warbler, Redstart, Yellow-browed Warbler intermittently. 
Capture (New/Recapture)

111(102/09)	No matching visit
Species New Rtp 1st year Adult BLACA 9 9 BLUTI 9 9 CHAFF 1 1 CHIFF 39 1 39 1 DUNNO 1 1 GOLDC 8 8 GOLDF 1 1 GRETI 1 1 LOTTI 30 8 indeterminate STOCH 2 2 WILWA 1 1

Recaptures: (9) Chiffchaff 2y 52d Long-tailed Tit 8 all ringed 118d ago

Today's Stonechats both are 1st year birds the left hand one is probably from an earlier brood, than the right hand one.

Sightings 32 Species: Ian's list, probably missed some over-flying species due to being busy with the number of birds captured. The Woodlark was singing late in the session; first one detected here for a week or two. The first Skylarks of the “winter” flew over; not seen any at this end of the common since the end of the breeding season. No hirundine seen; one or two might have flown through when we were busy but probably not. The Raven's "cronk " drew our attention to it flying over.