Friday, 17 October 2025

17/10 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common - Western Enclosure wk 2025-42
Session: 17/10/2025 07:40 to 11:30hrs
Present: IW,JL,NC.
Weather: overcast, cool, calm.
Nets: 48metres 3 Rides, up from 08:00 to 10:30 hrs.
Lures audio: (BC-CC-FC-GC),(FF-RE-ST),(YB),(Finches), intermittently.
Notes: A good start for the first net round included two more Firecrests and two more Lesser Redpoll. Although more redpolls came down in and near the enclosure several time during the  morning they manage to avoid the nets. The Redwings took little interest in the audio and mostly flew over quite high up; we play German and Latvian songs so those that we have seen this year so far could be from elsewhere, perhaps Iceland. For most of the morning it was more of the same including Goldcrests, Chiffchaff, a Blackcap and the first Blackbird ringed here this year-usually we’ve ringed a few by now. Blackbirds are relative scarce on the common so far compared to recent years, but numbers appear to have increased a little here since about the beginning of October, probably birds from further north in GB or wintering continental birds.
Sightings: We haven’t seen a Mute Swan go over here for some time and Cormorants are a bit scarce this autumn. The Sparrowhawk flew at some redpoll flitting around the enclosure before flying low over the heath north into woodland. Four Swallows flew south and later a singleton flew east. The Woodlark flew up from near the enclosure just as we were about to leave. A few finch types flew over unidentified particularly when they didn’t call, just black outlines against the cloudy sky.

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