03/03 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Feeder

Session: 03/03/2024 07:45 to 11:20hrs

Notes: I got the weather wrong on the 18th Feb (cancelled at 07:00hrs because it was raining only for the sun to come out just after for most of the day) We were not able to ringed last weekend (25th Feb) due to the Greenham Common car park being out of bounds for a charity half marathon. There was no other site available due to flooding and the usual alternative the Snelsmore Feeder has gone. So it was good to be able to do some ringing today. Fewer birds are coming to the feeder now, the warming sunshine probably encouraging territorial activity. The bird of the session was the Lesser Redpoll the first we have ringed here since 09/01/2018. We ringed 18 that year, 10 in 2017 and 129 mostly ringed some re-trapped in 2016, from 2011 to 2015 between 23 and 423 were ringed or re-trapped each year. They came mostly from the far north of Scotland, some from Yorkshire and around. After 2016 they stopped coming in significant numbers. Ringers from the north posted on the internet that “their” birds that usually leave for the winter were staying, visiting winter feeders near their breeding grounds. Very few have been seen in this part of Berkshire during the winters that followed. This year winter 2023/24 a few more substantial flocks have been reported on and around the common and we had hoped that some might find the feeder. So far today’s is the only one.

From around 10:00hrs the car park became very busy overflowing on the grass areas by Estovers, by the time we left this area was also pretty much full as people came out attracted by the sun and the first spring-like day of the year.

Present: JL,JHW,IW,IQ.

Weather: Bright sunny, cold early, calm

Nets: 12M of nets, 6M each side of the feeders from 08:00 to 11:00hrs.

Lures: Feeders with Sunflower Hearts, Peanuts, Niger.

Recaptures:(13) 

Blue Tit               ringed: 28/11/2021, 12/02/2023, 26/02/2023, 22/10/2023x2, 29/10/2023, 24/12/2023x2.

Coal Tit               ringed: 28/11/2023, 24/12/2023

Great Spotted Woodpecker ringed: 14/01/2024

Great Tit             ringed: 29/10/2023, 14/01/2024

Sighting: Groups of winter thrushes flew in from the south and spent a while in the tree line along the road. A Woodlark was singing loudly above us as we put the nets up. It or probably another could be heard singing out on the heath for a while later in the morning. The Lesser Redpoll just appeared in the net, no others detected. The Kestrel that has been about the feeder on most recent visits did not make an appearance this morning.