10/02 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Feeder

Session:10/03/2024 07:45 to 11:20hrs

Notes: The weather forecast for this morning was a bit hit and miss rain-wise but after getting caught out a couple of weeks ago, even though it was spotting at home decided to risk the rain not materialising until around 10:00 as shown on the forecast. It spotted occasionally mostly mid-session, but we managed the full four hours. Having spare food, the other two feeders now being out of action, I increased the number of feeders here adding finch friendly standard porthole feeder to the large tray feeder filled with sunflower hearts. This pulled in more Goldfinch and Greenfinch increasing from the usual two or three up until now. Two Chaffinch were a bonus I’ve been adding historical data to the BTO database when it is raining, and it is notable how many finches we ringed back in 1969 to 1972 compared to the very few of recent years. As usual Blue Tit dominated and included two pulli re-traps from the south side of the common, we don’t get many re-traps from these Pecked Hill nest boxes. There was also a better than usual number of Great Tit. A very busy session think 103 is the best capture for this winter.

Present: JL,JHW,IW,RAD,DL.

Weather: overcast, calm, mostly dry a few spots rain, cool.

Nets: 24M of nets, 6M each side of the feeders and a 12M scrub net from 08:00 to 11:00hrs.

Lures: Feeders with Fat Balls, Sunflower Heartsx2, Niger, Peanuts.

Recaptures:(45) note nest box prefixes PK situated on the south side of the common

Blue Tit               ringed: 01/12/2019, 28/11/2021, 06/03/2022, 13/11/2022, 26/02/2023, 27/03/2023x2, 22/10/2023x2, 29/10/2023, 24/12/2023x5, 14/01/2024x2, 28/01/2024, 03/03/2024x5

                            pulli ringed: 25/05/2023x 2 from nest boxes PK06 and PK19.

Great Tit             ringed: 12/12/2021, 13/11/2022, 29/10/2023x2, 24/12/2023, 14/01/2024, 28/01/2024x2, 03/03/2024x4.

Greenfinch         ringed: 24/12/2023, 14/01/2024, 28/01/2024

Goldfinch            ringed: 24/12/2023x 2, 14/01/2024.

Sighting: Not very much moving not surprising in the low murky conditions even Red Kite not

seen. Woodlark often sing in this sort of weather and two were singing on and off for most of the

session. No big flocks of winter thrushes this session, just a few Redwings.