05/10 Thatcham Marsh LNR

Location: Thatcham Marsh LNR

Session: 05/10/2025 07:30 to 11:30.hrs

Present: IW,RAD,JL,KMB

Weather: Mostly Overcast, Cool, Strong Breeze early, that got stronger as the morning progressed to well above the 15mph forecast.

Nets: 36+36 metre nets where 1A&2A nets meet on the reed bed ride up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs.

Lures (audio): (BC-CC-FC-GC-GW-WH-LW-WO),(YW-WC-W.-TP-RT-RZ),(YB),(AQ,RW,SW,RB) intermittently. 

Notes: There was a strong breeze at nets up that grew stronger as the session progressed to the  point that around 10:15hrs the two more exposed nets were being blow to nearly 45degrees off the vertical and were taken down. The other nets sheltered by mature scrub and the railway embankment were relatively unaffected. Unexpectedly we ringed two Siskin that came down into the nets even though we didn’t have Siskin audio running; possibly attracted be the other calls. The Great Tit with a very pale plumage and many white feathers is unusual but not unknown. Summer migration has peaked over the last two or three weeks and will tail off from now on to be replaced by arriving winter migrants; the Siskins being an indication of this.

FG =age indeterminate

Recaptures: (03)

Cetti’s Warbler           ringed: 29/09/2024, 29/06/2025, 14/09/2025

Sightings: A Water Rail was squealing in the stream as we returned from nets up. The first Skylarks over for me are a sign of winter passage, as is the arrival of Siskins; maybe it is n indication of good winter numbers in the area tghis coming winter after the low numbers if recent years. The two Grey Wagtails came up from the weir near the railway embankment; there may have been more than two as we disturbed one almost every time we accessed the net ride. The removal of a hornet entangled in the netting delayed taking the wind affected nets down.