Saturday, 3 May 2025

03/05 Thatcham Marsh LNR CES visit 2025.01

Location: Thatcham Marsh LNR CES Visit 2025.01
Session: 03/05/2025 06:00 to 11:15hrs.
Present: JHW,IW,JL,RAD,CMD,IEW,NC.
Weather: sunny periods, cool, light breeze.
Nets: 198M long reed bed ride up from 06:30 to 10:30hrs.
Lures ():, None
Notes: The first CES visit of 2025 and a total of 24 looked low and maybe the reed cutting and power line temporary access might be a factor. A look at the first visit totals since we started in 1993 showed the average to be 32 (range 2015 – 10 to 2004 – 63) making this visits 24 total on the low side of average. There was a lack of species visiting  the reed bed periphery such as Chiffchaff, Robin, Blue and Great Tits etc as can be seen by comparing the 2024 matching visit list. Hopefully there are still some acrocephalus warblers to return. Looks like the St Marks Road ringed 2021 Blue Tit has a territory near the reed bed as it was also here on the 14/04/2025; 5 years is a good age for a Blue Tit.
FG =age indeterminate
Recaptures: (08)
Blackbird ringed: 09/04/2023.
Blue Tit   ringed: 19/12/2021 (St Marks Road).
Cetti’s Warbler ringed: 17/04/2022.
Reed Warbler ringed: 21/02/2022, 28/05/2023,11/06/2023, 14/07/2024.
Sedge Warbler ringed: 13/04/2025.
Sightings: The first UK Swift of the year for me but I missed the Swallow, disappeared behind the
trees before I could find it. Several gulls quite high up looked to be feeding on insects.

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