28/07 Thatcham Marsh LNR CES 2019.09

Location: Thatcham Marsh LNR CES 2019.09

Session: 28-Jul-2019, 06:00 to 10:50hrs

Notes: A disappointing session, the reed bed was more or less empty. Both the uncut and cut new grown areas had very little activity. The uncut portion of reed was noticeably devoid of activity. A total capture of 20 is the lowest since we started CES in 1993, range 1998-87, 2016-24; the average, over the 27 years, for this visit is 43. When visiting the reed bed in the early days being bitten by insects was expected and tolerated, whereas in recent years few if any insect bites are the norm. I did briefly hear a mosquito when putting the nets up this session. I can’t recall seeing any aphides either. These once encrusted both the phragmites and Willow mid-late summer. Maybe this is why the read bed is so quiet, at the very least it can’t help. The only Cetti’s Warbler detected this session was some brief contact calls at the far end of the ride when I was taking the nets down. Until this year several nested along this ride, in 2019 one possibly two territories existed. I understand from RJC who surveys the whole marsh that numbers of singing males are down. On the plus side we did capture more Sedge Warblers than last year. Both the adult Blackcaps were in full primary moult, counting primary growth is not normally the highlight of a ringing session.

Weather: Sunny, breezy, warm.

Present: JL, DL, IW, RGS, DW

Nets: 198metres of standard reed bed net up from06:30 to 10:30hrs

Lure ( ): none

Capture (New/Recapture) 20(16/04) 5 Species	Matching Visit: 30/07/2018 visit 09 31(33/08) 10 Species
Species New Rtp Juv Adult BLACA 2 2 CHIFF 1 1 REEWA 6 2 6 2 SEDWA 5 4 1 WREN 4 4	Species New Rtp Juv Adult BLABI 1 1 BLACA 4 1 1 4 BLUTI 1 1 CETWA 1 1 CHIFF 1 1 2 DUNNO 3 3 GRETI 1 1 REEWA 10 5 8 7 SEDWA 1 1 TREEC 1 1

Recaptures: (04 recent except:

BLACA           ringed 30/07/2018 and 09/09/2018

Sightings 37 Species: probably the only events of note are the two possibly three fly-over Ravens and Nuthatches were quite noisy for a while.

Canada Goose Mallard Cormorant Red Kite Buzzard Moorhen Black-headed Gull Feral Pigeon Stock Dove Woodpigeon Swift Green Woodpecker Great Spotted Woodpecker Magpie Jay Jackdaw Carrion Crow Raven Goldcrest

Blue Tit Great Tit Coal Tit Sand Martin House Martin Cetti's Warbler Chiffchaff Blackcap Sedge Warbler Reed Warbler Nuthatch Wren Blackbird Robin Grey Wagtail Chaffinch Bullfinch Goldfinch