14/01 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Feeder

Session: 14/01/2024 07:45 to 11:45hrs

Notes: Another busy session, a good variety of species and 90 is the best feeder total so far for any one visit this winter. It was good to ring double figures of Goldfinch and particularly Greenfinch. The former often arrive in numbers from the end of January; they did until 2017/18 when numbers reduced significantly. Another female Chaffinch is also a good sign (the second in three days). A re-trap Marsh Tit is good, and another was calling while we were taking this one out of the net. Not as many Blue Tits at this site, higher numbers than usual though. No pulli retraps from the nest boxes across the heath is usual for this site, probably too far to go round the heath.

Present: JL,IW,JHW,IQ,RAD,NC

Weather: overcast early, sunny periods later, calm, cold warmer in the sun.

Nets: 54M of nets, 6M each side of the feeders up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs, Scrub nets 42M/3Rds.

Lures: Feeders with Sunflower Hearts, Niger, Peanuts.

Recaptures:(30)       

Blue Tit                ringed: 06/03/2022, 27/11/2022, 12/02/2023, 22/10/2023x6, 29/10/2023x4, 24/12/2023x3, 31/12/2023.

Coal Tit                ringed: 28/11/2021, 26/02/2023, 31/12/2023.

Great Tit               ringed: 02/09/2020, 12/03/2023, 29/10/2023x4, 24/12/2023

Marsh Tit             ringed: 31/12/2023

Robin                   ringed: 23/01/2022

Sighting: We were too busy to do much watching, nothing unexpected except perhaps a lonely Long-tailed Tit.