24/03 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Feeder

Session:24/03/2024 08:00 to 11:00hrs

Notes: Had high hopes that we would ring some Siskin today. About 7 visited the feeders early on but arrived vertically and exited vertically missing the nets. It was quiet early with just a few Blue and Great Tits. About 10:20hrs we had one reasonable round that included several Goldfinch and Greenfinch. Finally on the last round we did manage a single female Siskin. The excitement for me didn’t end there though! We packed all the equipment away, DL left followed by JHW when I tried to start my car the battery was flat. Ian noticed and stay. It was around 11:30hrs and I called the AA who arrived just after 12:00hrs tested and found the battery very iffy and likely to fail again soon. Fortunately, the AA chap was able to replace said battery with a new one he had with him and I was back home by 12:30hr.

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

Weather: clear cloudy later, cold, strong breeze.

Nets: 36M in 4 Rides, two 12M scrub nets and a 6M net each side of feeder

Lures: Feeders - Fat Ball, Sunflower Heartsx2, Niger, Peanuts.

Recaptures:(02)

Blue Tit            ringed: 28/11/2021, 06/03/2022, 27/11/2022, 29/10/2023x4, 10/03/2024x4

Great Tit          ringed: 13/11/2022, 27/11/2023x2, 29/10/2023, 24/12/2023, 14/01/2024, 28/01/2024,          03/03/2024, 10/03/2024x2.

Sighting: Apart from seven Siskins, quiet early with the usual Woodlarks singing over on the

common for much of the session. A flock of 11 Lesser Black-backed Gull flew down towards Lower

Farm and a Willow Warbler was singing nearby as we took the nets down. While we were waiting

for the AA a Sparrowhawk flew over very high southwest and a Brimstone Butterfly flew through,

might have been a Small Tortoiseshell as well but too quick to be sure.