12/11 Greenham Common

 Location: Greenham Common - Western Enclosure wk46

Session: 12/11/2024 07:45 to 10:50hrs

Notes: A late Chiffchaff on the 1st net round and a Goldcrest plus more of the same – Blue Tits.

The Chiffchaff is not the latest we have ringed here by two weeks. The next round more Blue Tits plus a Great Tit. All the time Redwings and Fieldfare groups were landing in and around enclosure with none caught. Around 09:45hrs a group of Fieldfare with some Redwing went into the enclosure very low, so we immediately did another round. On approaching we could see two Redwings in one net and a Fieldfare in another. Fortunately, they all remain in the nets, and we were able to ring the Redwings and Fieldfare, the latter only the second ringed at this site over the 15 years we have operate it. At nets down on entering the enclosure we could see four redwings in one of the nets. As we got closer three of the Redwing manage to get out of the net, fortunately one remained for us to ring. The nets we use have mesh that’s a bit fine for thrushes and is why the often escape. We could use larger (thrush) nets but then we would reduce the chance of netting smaller birds like Chiffchaff and Goldcrest, also the tit family etc.

Present: JL,IW.

Weather: overcast, light breeze, cold.

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

Lures audio: (BC-CC-FC-GC), (FF-RE), (YB), (GL-MP-PW) intermittently.

Recaptures: (01)

Blue Tit          pulli ringed: 15/05/2024 box PK08

Sightings: Our fist Golden Plover of the 2nd winter period, a flock of 17 flew high northeast; we usually see our first late September, but they are getting scarce in West Berkshire with numbers much reduced compared to flocks of up to 5000 wintering a few years ago. The better light conditions made the ID ofsmall brown jobs flying over easier. Robins were quiet with just two individuals calling/singing.