12 & 19/04 Thatcham Marsh LNR

Location: Thatcham Marsh LNR

Session:   12/04/2026 07:35 to 11:20hrs

                   19/04/2026 07:30 to 11:20hrs

Present:   JHW, IW, IQ.

                   JHW, IW, CMD + JL late morning

Weather: cold and strong breeze

                   Warm, sunny clear, light breeze.

Nets: Ride 1A 5x18M nets, Ride 2A 1x18M nets up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs (both sessions).

Lures (none):

The 1st Winter female Redstart ringed on the visit dated 20/04/2026. This is the first Redstart ringed at Thatcham Marsh since May 1989. NRG have ringed seven on this site, the first being Aug 1970. In total we have ringed 52 individuals over seven sites mostly along the Kennet valley. We have re-trapped just one previously ringed bird - a juvenile female at Greenham Common on the 29/08/2017. It had been ringed as a nestling on the 12/06/2017 at Locker Low Wood nr Hawnby, North Yorkshire (78 days,330Km ) None of the  Redstarts ringed by NRG have been reported re-trapped.

Notes: Just back from a weeks break I was absent for the 12/04/2026 visit and arrived late just in time to see the Redstart ringed on the  20/04/2026 visit. The first visit was affected by the wind, and both visits had a reduced number of nets erected which may have resulted in the relatively poor totals. Reed Warblers were present singing on both visits but remain in the reeds except for one. Similarly, Sedge Warblers were present on both visits.

FG = age indeterminate

Recaptures: (04) 12/04/2026

Cetti’s Warbler ringed: 28/09/2025, 12/10/2025.

Chiffchaff ringed: 29/06/2025.

Reed Warbler ringed: 21/08/2025.

 

Recaptures: (03) 19/04/2026

Chiffchaff ringed: 12/04/2026.

Long-tailed Tit ringed: 12/10/2025.

Reed Warbler ringed: 10/05/2025.

29/03 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Feeder.

Session: 29/03/2026 07:35 to 11:20hrs

Present: JHW, JL, IW, IQ, LC, JA, DB.

Weather: overcast, with bright periods, cold, breezy.

Nets: 6+6M feeder nets + 3no 12M scrub nets up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs.

Lures (Feeder): peanut feeder and a sunflower heart feeder.

The pair of Nuthatch ringed today - female to the left male to the right (darker breast plumage)

Notes: The last schedules session here this winter/spring – few birds attending feeder. Some late Siskins today, another wave seem to be going through after most disappeared a week or so ago when the ringed Siskin in my garden stopped coming – no ringed birds in the gatherings seen here or my garden this week. The session started with an Oct 2024 ringed Blackbird from the scrub nets followed by some Siskin, Goldfinch and Great Tit from the feeder. Small numbers each round thereafter included Goldfinch and Great Tit with the occasional Blue Tit or two and a male and female Nuthatch, probably a pair as one had a CP and the other a BP beginning to develop. A single Greenfinch and a Robin both in breeding condition followed and a final Siskin, and Great Tit with a Feb 2024 ringed Dunnock from the scrub nets at the close of the session. We had hoped for the first migrant (Chiffchaff) of the year from the scrub nets but all we got was plenty of singing in the surrounding trees, same as last week.

FG = age indeterminate

Recaptures: (09)

Blackbird ringed: 13/10/2024

Blue Tit ringed: 01/02/2026, 08/03/2026, 23/03/2026.

Dunnock ringed: 03/02/2024.

Great Tit ringed: 26/10/2025, 21/12/2025x2

Nuthatch ringed: 15/03/2026.

Sightings: IW's list with a few amendments -another quiet session and probably missed a few. First time I've seen Raven activity for a couple of weeks during visits at least three times a week (topping up feeders etc.) - possibly young have hatched in the nest in the treeline along the road. A few birds were hanging around the feeder at nets down - some more Greenfinch, Siskin etc and a pair of Mallards flew over. No Blackcap singing this week those heard during last weekends session have probably moved on.

Birds: 29 Species

22/03 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Feeder.

Session: 22/03/2026 07:35 to 11:20hrs

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

Weather: sunny periods, bright, calm, cool.

Nets: 6+6M feeder nets + 3no 12M scrub nets up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs.

Lures (Feeder): two sunflower heart feeders and a peanut feeder.

Chaffinch male, we once regularly ringed yearly in tripple figures maxing at 496 in 2011. Numbers ringed/re-trapped for the last 20 years are: 2006 - 209, 2007 - 319, 2008 - 326, 2009 - 330, 2010 - 407, 2011 - 496, 2012 - 148, 2013 - 151, 2014 - 106, 2015 - 99, 2016 - 73, 2017- 52, 2018 - 78, 2019 - 45, 2020 - 5, 2021 - 0, 2022 - 8, 2023 -1, 2024 - 5, 2025 - 2 and so far this year 2026 - 3. Even allowing for recent much reduced ringer activity the drop in numbers since around 2015 is notable and shows the effect that papilloma infection and to a lesser extent for this species trichomonas is having on the Chaffinch population.

Notes: A quieter session – fewer birds coming to the feeder now as breeding and territorial instincts come to the fore. A Nov 2021 ringed as a juvenile Blue Tit (5+ years old) re-trap is notable and is the first recovery of it since ringing. Several species particularly Long-tailed Tit were in breeding condition – CPs or BPs present. Late posting due to BTO website being closed for maintenance over the weekend.

FG = age indeterminate

Recaptures: (09)

Blue Tit ringed: 28/11/2021, 10/11/2024, 26/10/2025, 02/12/2025, 14/03/2026.

Bullfinch ringed: 13/10/2024

Goldfinch ringed: 18/01/2026

Long-tailed Tit ringed: 14/03/2026

Robin ringed: 30/03/2025

Sightings: IW’s list – Relatively quiet – the first singing returning migrant Blackcap I’ve heard this year. The Mistle Thrush is from a pair breeding somewhere in the treeline along the road.

15/03 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Feeder.

Session: 15/03/2026 07:45 to 11:30hrs

Present:  JHW, IW, JL, CMD, IQ.

Weather: sunny periods, breezy getting stronger towards end of session, cool.

Nets: 6+6M feeder nets + 3no 12M scrub nets up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs.

Lures (Feeder): two sunflower heart feeders and a peanut feeder, also intermittent Redpoll and other Audio in the scrub.

Lesser Redpolls male in front – red tinge to breast and throat, and a more extensive red cap

 than the female (out of focus) in the background.

Notes: Fewer birds coming to the feeder as their attention turns to breeding - some will be returning to the north and maybe Europe very soon. The increasing breeze as the session progressed also affected the nets and thus the capture. Two Lesser Redpoll lured down to the scrub nets using audio calls. We last ringed one here 03/03/2024 and until they began moving south in fewer numbers around 2019 we ringed double figures most winters sometimes triple, maxing at 423 in 2011. The Long-tailed Tits and the Wren were  coming into breeding plumage - CP and BP. Despite the drop in numbers, a good species selection compared to last year’s matching visit. Several Chiffchaff in song in surrounding trees but we couldn’t entice them down unfortunately.

FG = age indeterminate

Recaptures: (05)

Blue Tit ringed: 01/02/2026.

Great Tit ringed: 12/02/2023, 10/03/2024.

Long-tailed Tit ringed: 22/02/2026x2.

Sightings: IW’s list – Strangely no Blackbirds detected, perhaps the individuals present until recently here were winter migrants. Otherwise as with the ringing relatively quiet. 

08/03 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Feeder.

Session: 08/03/2026 07:45 to 11:30hrs

Present: JL, JHW, IW.

Weather: overcast, misty, cold, calm.

Nets: 6+6M feeder nets + a 12M scrub nets up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs.

Lures (Feeder): two sunflower heart feeders and a peanut feeder also intermittent Siskin/Redpoll calls in the scrub.

Notes: The weather was ok (no rain) but overcast, murky and miserable. However, we had a good session compared to last years matching visit with a good variety of species. In addition, first one Brambling in the net was unexpected since they usually turn up in flocks of Chaffinch but there are few of these around in recent winters Then the next net round produced another Brambling after we optimistically hoped for a third so each of the three of us could ring one. We last ringed one at this feeder on the 06/03/2016. We have ringed 10 here since 14/12/2010 – we began operating this feeder winter 2009. Recoveries of Bramblings ringed by NRG include one ringed 09/03/1980 at Bagnor recovered the following winter in a large roost at Speke nr Liverpool 29/01/981 236KM, also one ringed at Crookham Common 12/10/2005 was recovered 24/03/2007 at Thetford 179KM. Giving perhaps an indication of where these bird come from is a recovery of a bird ringed at the Greenham Feeder 20/02/2011 that was recovered 02/05/2012 2217KM away in Finland. The only other overseas record is of one ringed in the Netherlands 11/11/1979 recovered in the Newbury area 30/01/1982 (383KM).  The group last ringed Brambling in 2018 when JPM ringed 49 (about a third of the NRG total) over both winter periods near Brimpton that year, prior to this one or two were occasional ringed in winter periods over many years totalling 130 on the database.

Recaptures: (19)

Blue Tit ringed: 02/03/205, 21/12/2025, 18/01/2026, 01/02/2026, 22/02/2026x2.

Great Tit ringed: 14/01/024x2, 26/10/2025x2, 09/11/2025x6, 18/01/2026,22/02/2026,  01/03/2026.

Sightings: IW’s list – we were again quite busy plus some may have been missed in the murk, Chiffchaffs singing.