23/08 Thatcham Marsh LNR

Location: Thatcham Marsh LNR CES Visit 2025.12

Session: 23/08/2025 06:00 to 11:10hrs.

Present: JHW,IW,JL,CMD,RAD,JA,LC,IQ.

Weather: bright sunny clear, calm, warm.

Nets: one 198M long reed bed ride plus 12m scrub ride additional net up from 06:30 to 10:30hrs.

Lures (): None

Notes: Good numbers today. For visit 12 the total of 59 is above the average of 32 (range 2006 – 11 and 1995 – 71). Like yesterday’s Western Enclosure visit Blackcaps were moving through the site, they mostly arrived late in the session with a few Chiffchaff. Still some Reed Warbler about and a few Sedge Warbler, eight Cetti’s Warbler in a session is notable. Nice to get a visit from Bev of the Thatcham Nature Discovery Centre, shame she is moving on. We are having problems with the fishermen, they had by passed the BBOWT-lock when JHW arrived, fortunately a fisherman arrived and unlock so we all got in ok. When we left we found the BBOWT-lock had been bypassed again and JHW went back to the fishing lakes found another fisherman and borrowed his key so we could get out. Think it’s the configuration of this year’s fisherman lock, unfortunately due to the containing nut welded to the staple on their lock it will only connect to the other lock in one configuration, sadly instead of connecting the locks correctly they are bypassing the other lock; might have to bring bolt cutters next time. The nearly an hour delay when leaving rather spoilt a good ringing morning.

Recaptures: (08)

Blue Tit               ringed: 03/09/2023

Cetti’s Warbler   ringed: 12/07/2025.

Dunnock             ringed: 22/09/2022.

Reed Warbler     ringed: 10/08/2025x2

Robin                  ringed: 21/06/2025

Wren                   ringed: 12/07/2025x2

Sightings: A large tit flock flew across east early, otherwise much as expected. We managed to

remove the Migrant Hawker from the mist net and release it. CDM/JHW found and  identified the

Small White Wave Moth using the Seek App.