11/06 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Western Enclosure (wk24)

Session: 11/06/2024 07:45 to 11:00hrs

Today’s Garden Warbler, a female with a fully developed brood patch

Notes: The first visit of 2024 to the enclosure and like most places this year, so far, activity is below expectations. As can be seen from the sightings list numbers of some species are low. The juveniles are dispersing fledglings just a week or two out of the nest. The Garden Warbler and Willow Warbler were foraging females, the latter probably associated with the singing male to the south of the enclosure.

Present: JL,IW.

Weather: sunny, bright, calm to light breeze, cool

Nets: 48metres 3 Rides, 18M, 18M and 12M up from 08:00 to 10:30hrs.

Lures audio: (Warblers), (Misc Migrants), (RT), (GH), intermittently.

Recaptures: (00)

Sightings: It is notable that there were few Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler singing also Whitethroat. The regular Robin territory near where we park the car is not there this year. I thought that there might be a Stonechat nesting in the enclosure, but no sign of any birds today. If they were there they have probably fledge and moved off, also no sign of Dartford Warbler here this year yet. Generally, pretty quiet over with a couple of Buzzard and three maybe four Red Kite soaring over the heath also the usual procession of Jackdaw to and from the bunkers and Lesser Black-backed Gull flying west-ish. Thought there would be some butterfly and dragonfly on the wing but none detected.