06/11 The Bagnor Feeder

Location: Bagnor Feeder Winter CES visit2024/25.01

Session: 06/11/2024 07:45 to 11:30hrs

Notes: The first winter CES of the 2024/25. Very busy, ringing mostly Blue Tits and Great Tits also of note two Nuthatches. It looks to have been a good survival year for both Blue and Great Tit as we processed pulli from both the 2023 and 2024 breeding season as well as good numbers of both species, also the number of adults seems higher than usual. The Treecreeper was unexpected.

Present: JL,IW.

Weather: overcast, cool, calm.

Nets: 2x6M nets, 1  each side of feeder up from 08:00 to 10:00hrs

Lures (Feeder): Peanuts, Sunflower Hearts, Fat Balls.

Recaptures:(17)

Blue  Tit              ringed: 22/11/2022, 15/12/2023x2, 12/01/2024x3,

pulli ringed: 20/05/2023 box WH13, 23/05/2023 box C05, 26/05/2023 box A01, 27/05/2023 box WH21. 10/05/2024 box A01, 14/05/2024 box CP30,

20/05/2024 box WH24.

Coal Tit               ringed: 10/12/2023.

Great Tit             ringed: 26/01/2024.

pulli ringed: 23/05/2023 box D08, 16/05/2024 box WH22.

Sighting: We missed a few while ringing. Some Pheasant have appeared not sure how many as one seen and at leased one other calling, probably more. Not sure where they have come from as the Bagnor Estate and Honey Bottom shoots are not operating this year I understand. These have appeared post the September shoot release and probably come from further north or southwest of Bagnor. We could hear Rook(s) calling to the west and the Ravens were calling a lot for a while. Four Fieldfare are the first at this site this winter for me., A couple of unidentified thrush flying towards Snelsmore Common may have been Mistle Thrush from their flight but couldn't be sure.

05/11 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common - Western Enclosure wk45

Session: 05/11/2024 07:45 to 10:50hrs

Notes: We are getting towards the end of the season and numbers moving about the heath are dropping. I usually treat week 45 as last week of summer migration. Since we started here in 2009, post week 45 the weather usually becomes more unstable, but this year who knows! The first bird was a Firecrest. Sexing these is not as straight forward as Goldcrest. The crest colour difference is not as obvious, it seems the extent of white on the “face” is less on the female and wing length is 50-54mm and below whereas its 54 to 57.5mm on the male. The amount of orange in the crest is also less but there is overlap. All in accordance with Svensson (4th edition).

Present: JL,IW.

Weather: overcast, calm, cold.

Nets: 48metres 3 Rides, up from 08:00 to 10:30 hrs.

Lures audio: (BC-CC-FC-GC), (FF-RE), (YB-RT-FC-GC-YB) intermittently.

Recaptures: (01)

Blue Tit           pulli ringed: 09/05/2024 box PK23.

Sightings: The Canada Goose were a flock that flew south. Fewer Redwings today all taking an interest in the audio, but most stayed around the enclosure, in the tops of the scrub as did the three Fieldfares, not many of these latter seen so far this autumn/winter.

03/11 Snelsmore Common

Location: Snelsmore Common Car Park Feeder

Session: 03/11/2024 07:45 to 11:30hrs 

Notes: Fortunately, the exclusion due to rats has been lifted and the feeder is back in operation near The Snugg garden. A pre-Winter CES session and we struggle a bit, fortunately Charis (CMD) who hadn’t ringed since the beginning of the year, with a bit of tuition, got up to speed very quickly including net extraction. Had a few good nest box (pulli) ringed re-traps, including from a box at the Winterbourne Holt end of the common.

Present: JL,IW,CMD.

Weather: overcast, cool, calm.

Nets: 2x6M nets, 1  each side of feeder up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs

Lures (Feeder): Fat Balls, Sunflower Hearts, Peanuts

Recaptures:(17)

Blue  Tit              ringed: 05/03/2023,10/12/2023, 07/01/2024x2., 02/02/2024.

                            pulli ringed:14/05/2024x6 (nest boxes CP18x3, CP24x1, CP30x2)

Coal Tit               ringed: 10/12/2023.

Great Tit             ringed: 10/12/2023x2.

                            pulli ringed: 14/05/2024 box CP14, 20/05/2024x2 box WH07.

Sighting: We were busy ringing most of the time so probably missed a few species. Blackbirds were alarming nearby for a while indicating the presence of a predator, perhaps an unseen Sparrowhawk. Notable species Treecreeper. Good numbers of Coal Tit at this feeder, they look to have had a good breeding outcome this year.

01/11 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common - Western Enclosure wk44

Session: 01/11/2024 07:45 to 11:00hrs

Notes: a quiet session, the first for a while with very few birds about, managed to get another Redwing though, one of over hundred that flew into and around the enclosure during the morning. Highlight of the session was clearing away some plastic bags/sheets left by some sort of Halloween party, presumably last night – nice!

Present: JL,IW.

Weather: overcast, light breeze, colder.

Nets: 48metres 3 Rides, up from 08:00 to 10:30 hrs.

Lures audio: (BC-CC-FC-GC), (FF-RE), (YB-RT-FC-GC-YB) intermittently.

Sightings: Not much moving, missed a few brown jobs (finches) that we couldn’t ID. Probably the notable species are Stonechat the first seen this end of the common for a week or two and this also applies to the Buzzard. Chaffinch numbers are still low but more than in recent times so maybe wintering birds from the north.

29/10 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common - Western Enclosure wk44

Session: 29/10/2024 07:45 to 11:00hrs

Notes: a normal session for the time year except more Blue Tits here than at the Greenham Feeder last Sunday. We checked the Chiffchaff carefully, it look much yellower in the hand than the birds we normally ring and the photo doesn’t reflect how yellow it was, but the wing formula etc was as for Chiffchaff. It was quite long winged though, normal range here is 55 to 62mm this one was 65. And, a Redwing stayed in the net until we got to it for change.

Present: JL,IW.

Weather: cloudy with sunny periods late in session, calm light breeze later, warm

Nets: 48metres 3 Rides, up from 08:00 to 10:30 hrs.

Lures audio: (BC-CC-FC-GC), (FF-RE), (YB-RT-FC-GC-YB) intermittently.

Recaptures: (00)

Sightings: Most of the Woodpigeon were flying north, A few groups of Redwing flew in then off again towards the southern tree margins. One large flock of Jackdaws out from the bunkers contributed to most of the 143+ count.