27/05 Thatcham Marsh LNR CES 2018.03

Location: Thatcham Marsh LNR CES visit 03
Session: 27th-May-2018 05:30 to 10:30hrs

Headlines: With no scrub nets numbers were a little down although the scrub nets have not done to well this season, so far, so perhaps not as much effect as it might have been. Reed Warbler numbers are one less than last year but Sedge Warblers numbers continue to fall. Several new Reed Warblers some not yet showing signs of breeding condition indicate new arrivals; most of these were captured late in the session and might just have dropped in. We had one control Reed Warbler ringed in 2015. The first juveniles of the year arrived when we captured a small tit flock containing more adult Blue Tit than juveniles and a Long-tailed Tit and then a little later a small group of juvenile of the latter species; not a match for last year’s Long-tailed Tit capture though. 37 is just above the average of 35 for visit 03; range 2002-18 and 2017-54.

Weather: Mostly overcast, humid warm, calm
Present: JL, IW, JHW
Nets: 198metres in one standard net ride up from 06:05 to 10:05hrs
Lure (none):
Capture (New/Recapture)

37(19/18) CES 2018.03	59(32/27) CES 2017.03 (21-May-2017)
Species New Rtp Juv FG BLUTI 6 1 3 4 CETWA 3 3 DUNNO 1 1 GRETI 1 1 LOTTI 3 1 1 REEWA 8 9 17 SEDWA 4 4	Species New Rtp Juv FG BLABI 1 1 BLACA 1 1 CETWA 1 4 5 CHIFF 1 1 2 DUNNO 1 1 2 GRETI 1 1 JAY 1 1 LOTTI 15 2 15 2 REEBU 1 1 REEWA 7 11 18 ROBIN 1 1 SEDWA 3 5 8 WREN 1 1

Totals of the last ten years for visit 03

2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018
37	45	36	23	29	31	29	29	54	37

Recaptures: (18) all recent except:

BLUTI ringed 27-Aug-2017
CETWA ringed 16-Aug-2014
LOTTI ringed 23-Aug-2015
REEWA ringed 12-May-2013, 03-Jun-2017, 11-Jun-2017, 23-Jul-2017

Sightings 50 Species: Ian’s list, a good variety of species, a big female Sparrowhawk spiralled around on a thermal chased by a Swallow, later it was perched at the very top of a dead tree in the woods to the west. There was quite a lot of Swift activity, there could have been many more than the 15 counted but it was assumed to be the same group flying about. A lone Lapwing over north is unusual for the time of year. Most species were relatively quiet, singing occasionally. Just as we were about to leave a familiar upright outline spotted on the top of a nearby tree gave us all a local year tick of a now scarce species in West Berkshire, Spotted Flycatcher.