06/04 Thatcham Marsh LNR

Location: Thatcham Marsh LNR

Session: 06/04/2025 07:00 to 11:15hrs.

Present: IW,JL,CMD,RAD,LC.

Weather: bright, sunny, clear, cool warm later, light breeze.

Nets: 198M long reed bed ride up from 07:30 to 10:30hrs.

Lures ():, None

Notes: The first session at the CES site this year. The reeds have been cut to the west of the 1a portion of the ride. This is a regular cut in rotation to maintain the phragmites reed and why the ride is recorded in two sections (1A and 2A) so that we get overlap for the CES scheme – 2A was cut a year or so before the Covid epidemic. Also, during the winter the “electricity generating board” cut the reed and laid a temporary road along the line of the overhead cable when replacing existing pylons, cables etc with new.  Not much activity on the reed bed or surrounding scrub, it’s a bit early for here in recent times. Hopefully next week there will be a few Sedge Warblers to ring.

Recaptures: (03)

Blackbird ringed:18/05/2019

Blue Tit   ringed: 10/09/2023

Cetti’s Warbler ringed: 06/10/2024

Sightings: No acrocephalus warblers yet. A Great White Egret, seen by RAD/JL when putting nets up, flew west-ish disappearing behind the tree line before we could get good views. A Mallard with about 6 small ducklings was on the stream adjacent the ride. LC thought she saw a Firecrest (but not 100%) when minding the ringing table while we were doing a net round. We couldn’t find it when we returned but it’s not far from where one was seen along the track to Prince Hold Lane recently.

Otherwise much as expected.

30/03 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Feeder

Session: 30/03/2025 07:45 to 11:15hrs.

Present: JL,IW,CMD,DL,LC.

Weather: bright, sunny, clear, cool, breezy.

Nets: 2x6M nets, one each side of feeder, plus 2 10M scrub nets up from about 08:00 to 11:00hrs.

Lures (Feeder):, Niger, Mixed Seed, Sunflower Hearts, Peanuts.

Cetti’s Warbler (left) a new ringing species for this site. Chiffchaff (right) note the spiking (clogged-up feathers) just above the bill showing that the bird has recently fed on pollen, probably somewhere in Europe on it’s way back from winter quarters. (CMD)

Notes: Another relatively quiet session for the last scheduled visit this winter/spring to this feeder; the food has runout. As with recent visits the drop in the diversity of species is very apparent compared to last year’s matching visit. I tried some mixed grain bird food here this week hoping to attract some finches, but none came while we were there. We are puzzled by the distinct lack of birds compared to last year and before. On the plus side we ringed from the scrub nets our first Chiffchaff of the year and a new ringing species for this site – Cetti’s Warbler, probably disbursing from elsewhere. Singing Cetti’s Warbler have been recorded here in the past in the scrub just on the west side of the car park entrance but did not sustain, probably insufficient suitable habitat. 

FG =age indeterminate

Recaptures: (06)

Blue Tit   ringed: 03/03/2024, 16/02/2025, 09/03/2025

Dunnock ringed: 29/10/2023

Great Tit ringed: 16/02/2024, 27/10/2024

Sightings: Ian’s list. Surprisingly given it was quite blustery Woodlark only sang briefly just after we arrived. Two Chiffchaffs, squabbling over territory, flew low over us then even lower back between us as we stood by the cars.

16/03 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Feeder

Session: 16/03/2025 07:45 to 11:15hrs.

Present: JL,IW,CMD,DL.

Weather: bright, sunny, clear, cold, calm.

Nets: 2x6M nets, one each side of feeder, plus a 12M nets up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs.

Lures (Feeder):, Niger, Sunflower Hearts, Peanuts.

Notes: Another quiet session, looks like the feeder season has finished early this year. Just five birds until the nets down round when eight birds netted including the two Greenfinches. Both Goldfinches came from the scrub net.

Recaptures: (03)

Blue Tit           ringed: 10/03/2024, 02/03/2025, 09/03/2025

Sightings: Ian’s list - as last week very quiet. 

 

09/03 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Feeder

Session: 09/03/2025 07:45 to 11:15hrs.

Present: JL,IW,RAD,DL.

Weather: bright, sunny, clear, warm, light breeze.

Nets: 2x6M nets, one each side of feeder, plus 12M & 10M scrub nets up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs.

Lures (Feeder):, Niger, Sunflower Hearts, Peanuts.

Quiet at the feeder today. the capture consisted mostly of Blue Tits, some Great Tits and a re-trap Dunnock. Even last year’s matching visit in 2024 had a very respectable 103 birds of 7 Species to process. Just a few years ago we would have been ringing good numbers of Goldfinch, Redpoll, Siskin and Greenfinches this time of year until mid-April, also the occasional Brambling, and a few Chaffinch. Not many of these species visited any of our feeders this winter.

Recaptures: (12)

Blue Tit   ringed: 13/10/2024, 02/02/2025x2, 16/02/2025x2, 02/03/2025x2.

Dunnock ringed: 16/02/2025

Great Tit ringed: 10/03/2024, 13/10/2024, 02/03/2025x2

The disappearance of these species is illustrated by this table:

We didn’t start using Niger seed (that attracts these species in numbers) until 2010. We know that

papilloma virus has devastated the Chaffinch population and Trichomonas the Greenfinch population.

It seems Redpoll and Siskin are wintering in the south in much reduced numbers; northern based

ringers report that most are wintering and visiting feeders near their breeding areas. For Goldfinch we

know that many of “our” wintering birds came from the Wire Forest (Worc) and further north, these

may also have stayed local in winter. The Goldfinch was not as common in the last century as it is now

in my experience, also local (wintering) flocks are much smaller than they were 5 years or so ago.

Sightings: Chiffchaff singing, there was a fall of returning birds mid-week. Few Blackbirds and no

Song thrush detected; they have been singing during recent visit but not today.

02/03 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Feeder

Session: 02/03/2025 07:45 to 11:30hrs

The Greenham Feeder

Notes:. A very pleasant morning weather-wise for a change and a visit by the 2025 BBOWT seasonal wardens. For recent times we had a reasonable capture that included a bit of variety from the scrub nets – Goldcrest, Goldfinch amongst others and the feeder provided Greenfinch, Coal Tit and a 2019 (6years+old) Robin, as well as the usual Blue and Great Tits.

Present: JL,IW,RAD,CMD,IQ + CC,EA,ZB - BBOWT seasonal wardens

Weather: bright, sunny, clear, cool, calm.

Nets: 2x6M nets, one each side of feeder, plus 3x12M scrub nets up from 08:00 to 10:10hrs.

Lures (Feeder):, Niger, Sunflower Hearts, Peanuts.

Recaptures(15)

Blue Tit ringed: 03/11/2019,13/11/2022, 31/03/2024, 13/10/2024, 16/02/2025

Bullfinch ringed: 13/10/2024

Coal Tit ringed: 02/02/2025

Goldcrest ringed: 13/10/2024

Great Tit ringed: 29/10/2023, 28/01/2024, 13/10/2024x3, 10/11/2024

Robin ringed: 24/01/2019.

Sightings: Not much moving about and probably because it was calm no Woodlark song heard. A Marsh Tit was calling near the feeder at nets up but didn't stay unfortunately.