26/05 Thatcham Marsh LNR

Location: Thatcham Marsh LNR CES visit 03

Session: 26-May-2019 06:00 to 10:55hrs

Notes: I started off by getting my nets up time mixed up with the arrival time, so some of the standard nets was up about 20minutes late. It was quiet for most of the session, the windy weather plus some of the reed bed being cut exposed five of the nets to the full force of strongist north westerly. I think the poor showing of reed and sedge warblers compared to last year shows the effect  of this. All was going along steadily enough such that DL tempted fate by checking the standard nets alone, expecting there would be just one or two to captures. He arrived at the junction between the sets of nets to find 19 Long-tailed Tits in the nets. There were many more calling from the scrub. It looked to be at least two broods forming the flock; the capture included four adults with 15 juveniles. They bolstered what would have been a low total.

Weather: Overcast, warm, strong breeze
Present: JL, IW, JHW
Nets: 216metres, one standard reed bed ride of 108m+90m and an 18m addition scrub ride. Up from 06:30 to 10:30hrs.

Lure ( ): none

Capture (New/Recapture) 39(24/15) 07 species	Matching Visit: 27/05/2018 CES 03 37(19/18) 07 species
Species New Rtp Juv Adult CETWA 3 3 CHIFF 1 1 GRETI 1 1 LOTTI 17 2 15 4 REEWA 5 6 11 SEDWA 3 3 WREN 1 1	Species New Rtp Juv Adult BLUTI 6 1 3 4 CETWA 3 3 DUNNO 1 1 GRETI 1 1 LOTTI 3 1 3 1 REEWA 8 9 17 SEDWA 4 4

Recaptures: (15) recent except:

CETWA          ringed: 23/07/2017, 01/04/2018, 15/04/2018
LOTTI             ringed: 27/05/2018, 09/09/2018
SEDWA         ringed 30/07/2018

Sightings 44 Species: Ian’s list, includes a small starling roost up from the reed bed and  that I missed through being late. Going back a few years these roosts numbered in the thousands. There were a few Swifts over, the lack of hirundine are notable, also I think Kestrel numbers around Newbury are low so far this year..