07/04 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Feeder

Session: 07/04/2024 08:00 to 11:00hrs

Notes: Not ideal conditions today as it got windier as the session progress, probably the strongest I can recall ever ringing in towards the end. The nets however were not too badly affected at first as there was some shelter from the 616 building and scrub. We achieved wrangler experience when we rounded up two cows that wandered into the car park entrance from the road and herded them to one of the gates onto the common. Fortunately, a walker was just coming through the gate and held it open for the cows. Several of the birds were coming into breeding condition and we were able to record brood patch scores and cloacal protuberance as appropriate. As expected the number of birds visiting the feeder has dropped significantly this week as they form and stay on breeding territories. We are a bit stuck at the moment as to where to ring, we usually turn our efforts towards Thatcham Marsh but so far this year the access to our rides has remained floaded and looks to remain as such for the foreseeable future. Lets hope for a significant dry spell very soon.

Present: JL, JHW,IW,DL.

Weather: very windy, few spots rain, sunny periods, warm.

Nets: 36M net, two 6M nets one each side of feeder plus two 12m scrub nets up from 8:00 to 11:00hrs

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

Recaptures:(10)

Blue Tit               ringed: 28/11/2021, 29/10/2023, 14/01/2024, 31/03/2024

Coal Tit               ringed: 14/01/2024.

Great Tit             ringed: 12/02/2023, 10/03/2024.

Greenfinch         ringed: 24/12/2023, 28/01/2024, 10/03/2024

Sighting: A couple of Swallow high over mid-session, spotted by IW, were new this year for

some of us. We also watched a pair of Chiffchaff nest building in the adjacent compound,

otherwise the weather rather subdued bird song and movement.