11/09 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Western Enclosure wk37

Session: 11/09/2024 07:40 to 11:10hrs

Notes: Blackcap and Chiffchaff, 16 from the first net round. After which it went quiet with no birds for a couple of rounds, the rest of the birds were from the last two net rounds. The heath was very quiet with little visible movement of resident birds etc.

Present: JL.

Weather: clear and sunny early, some cloud later, cool, medium breeze early increasing to strong by the end of the session.

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

Lures audio: (Warbler), (Misc Migrants), (RT), (YB) intermittently.

Recaptures: (01)

Chiffchaff      ringed: 02/07/2024

Sightings: Probably missed some when extracting/ringing etc. After the first net round when it went quiet I spent most of the time wandering around the enclosure looking for birds, but the only activity noticed was a male Dartford Warbler singing and working the gorse. Seems a bit late to be feeding young but it found a large grub, flew off across the track, and disappeared in the gorse. Towards the end of the session was by the car when a large raptor flew over low near the enclosure rising up to about 15metres before gliding off and disappearing into the trees to the south. Thought it was a Buzzard at first before realising it looked like a big Sparrowhawk. After looking at it through binoculars realised I was looking at a female Goshawk. Probably the bird we saw earlier in the year that was heading towards Sandleford.