13/09 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Western Enclosure wk37

Session: 13/09/2024 07:40 to 11:10hrs

Notes: More Blackcap and Chiffchaff, Week number 37 is normally the peak of their movement through the site, number usually begin to fall from next week. Seems to have been a small influx of Dunnock, they have been scarce here this year. Goldcrest numbers should begin to build over the next few weeks, hopefully today’s is the first of many.

Present: JL,IW.

Weather: bright sunny clear, cold early warm later, light breeze..

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

Lures audio: (Warbler), (Misc Migrants), (RT), (YB) intermittently. 

Recaptures: (00) None

Sightings: Not much movement around the enclosure. A few more resident species than Wednesday’s visit. The only notable species is Meadow Pipit, there have been few sightings since the spring here.

11/09 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Western Enclosure wk37

Session: 11/09/2024 07:40 to 11:10hrs

Notes: Blackcap and Chiffchaff, 16 from the first net round. After which it went quiet with no birds for a couple of rounds, the rest of the birds were from the last two net rounds. The heath was very quiet with little visible movement of resident birds etc.

Present: JL.

Weather: clear and sunny early, some cloud later, cool, medium breeze early increasing to strong by the end of the session.

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

Lures audio: (Warbler), (Misc Migrants), (RT), (YB) intermittently.

Recaptures: (01)

Chiffchaff      ringed: 02/07/2024

Sightings: Probably missed some when extracting/ringing etc. After the first net round when it went quiet I spent most of the time wandering around the enclosure looking for birds, but the only activity noticed was a male Dartford Warbler singing and working the gorse. Seems a bit late to be feeding young but it found a large grub, flew off across the track, and disappeared in the gorse. Towards the end of the session was by the car when a large raptor flew over low near the enclosure rising up to about 15metres before gliding off and disappearing into the trees to the south. Thought it was a Buzzard at first before realising it looked like a big Sparrowhawk. After looking at it through binoculars realised I was looking at a female Goshawk. Probably the bird we saw earlier in the year that was heading towards Sandleford.

03/09 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Western Enclosure wk36

Session: 03/09/2024 07:40 to 10:55hrs

Notes: Another session of mostly Blackcap and Chiffchaff, and the third Firecrest of the season, also a late-ish Garden Warbler.

Present: JL,IW.

Weather: overcast, warm, light breeze.

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

Lures audio: (Warbler), (Misc Migrants), (RT), (GH) intermittently.

Recaptures: (01)

Chiffchaff      ringed: 17/07/2024

Sightings: Mostly sightings as expected with a lack of finches and no Stonechat detected today. About half way through the session we noticed some hirundine high-ish up circling, drifting east south east. At first we though a feeding group but more and more appeared, we estimated a least 60 in total. They were move ahead of some heavy low cloud (a front) that went through. The sky looked threating several times, but the forecast rain showers did not materialise.

30/08 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Western Enclosure wk35

Session: 30/08/2024 07:35 to 10:50hrs

Notes: A steady session mostly consisting of Blackcaps and Chiffchaff, as on Wednesday several of the latter were in the surrounding scrub before nets up. A Tree Pipit was the star bird, the first here since 2021 and the 13th of this species at this site since we started in 2009, mid-August is when we usually ring one sometimes two. We had to consult Svenson to confirm the species and age as they and even their close relative Meadow Pipit are not encountered as often as they once were.

Present: JL,IW.

Weather: bright sunny clear, calm, warm, hot later

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

Lures audio: (Warbler), (Misc Migrants), (RT), (GH) intermittently.

Recaptures: (01)

Chiffchaff      ringed: 24/07/2024

Sightings: No bird of prey seen today not even Red Kite. Fewer Jackdaws out from the bunkers. The Cormorants are the first over for a week or two and not many butterflies on the wing in the warm sunny weather..

28/08 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Western Enclosure wk35

Session: 28/08/2024 07:35 to 10:50hrs

Notes: After putting up the nets and returning to the ringing station we saw several Chiffchaff heading in the direction of the enclosure and but only found two in the nets on the first round. What had headed to the enclosure unseen was at least thirteen Blackcap and there was a bit of a movement on as throughout the two and a half hour session we attracted and ringed 25 individuals. I estimate that audio lures call in birds from about 500m around the enclosure; makes you wonder just how many Blackcaps were moving through the area this morning.

Present: JL,IW,IQ.

Weather: mostly overcast, calm, warm.

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

Lures audio: (Warbler), (Misc Migrants), (RT), (GH) intermittently.

Recaptures: (00)

Sightings: Relatively quiet, it appears that the Linnets, Greenfinch and Goldfinch have formed flocks and mostly moved elsewhere. Similarly, the number of Jackdaw out from the bunkers is dwindling. Few insects on the wing. A dog walker asked us if we had seen any adders as they had been told a dog had died from an adder bite on the common recently.  On the way back off the common nine rooks were feeding near the control tower; these have been quite scarce here this year so far.