11/08 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common - Western Enclosure 2026 wk33-Tue

Session: 11/08/2026 07:40 to 10:50hrs

Present: IW, JL, KMB.

Weather: Sunny bright, hot, breezy.

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

Lures audio: (BC-CC-FC-GC-GW-WH-LW-WO),(W-WC-RT-SF-TP-YW),(GH),(YB),(RT), intermittently.

Notes: A quiet session with few birds, unlike last year’s matching visit. It’s noticeable that there are very few insects about so probably not much for insectivores to feed on.

Recaptures: (0) 

Sightings: The Raven was quite noisy flying up and down the treeline to the south. A single early and a quite high up family party of Swallows the only hirundine seen. The Speckled wood was the only insect seen throughout the session.

07/08 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common - Western Enclosure 2026 wk32-Fri

Session: 07/08/2026 07:40 to 10:50hrs

Present: IW, JL.

Weather: Sunny bright, hot light breeze.

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

Lures audio: (BC-CC-FC-GC-GW-WH-LW-WO),(W-WC-RT-SF-TP-YW),(GH),(YB),(RT), intermittently.

Notes: A reasonable session included a few Willow Warblers. The average capture of this species for week 32 is 12, so a little down for what is their peak week of movement through the site. Usually, numbers drop away quite rapidly from week 33 to the last stragglers week 39. A few Blue Tits moving across the heath southwards this session, otherwise not much visable movement.

Recaptures: (0)

Sightings: Unlike last Wednesday, when there was a movement South, just a single Swallow over today. The Migrant Hawker was a female and we’re not too confident of the ID. 

05/08 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common - Western Enclosure 2026 wk32-Wed

Session: 05/08/2026 07:40 to 10:50hrs

Present: IW, JL.

Weather: cloudy, occasional sunny periods, strong breeze, warm early, hot later.

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

Lures audio: (BC-CC-FC-GC-GW-WH-LW-WO),(W-WC-RT-SF-TP-YW),(GH),(YB),(RT), intermittently

Lesser Whitethroat: a juvenile showing disseminated feathering. Disseminated (hair-like) feathers are a characteristic for ageing most species' juveniles in the hand.

Dartford Warbler: a juvenile on which the decemination of the feathers is much more evident.

Notes: Another wind affected session with a trickle of migrants through the heath - see the numbers of last years matching visit in comparison. Nice to ring the 5th Lesser Whitethroat of the year and the 2nd Dartford Warbler.

Recaptures: (0) 

Sightings: It was again quiet on and around the heath today. Small groups of Swallow were flying low south across the heath on migration occasionally for most of the session. House Martins fed high overhead for a while. There was little insect activity. A Grayling (butterfly) was seen on the south side of the enclosure before I arrived.

 

02/08 Thatcham Marsh LNR

Location: Thatcham Marsh LNR CES Visit 2026.10

Session:     02/08/2026 06:00 to 11:00hrs

Present:      IW, JL, RAD, AB, KMB.

Weather:    bright sunny, light breeze, hot later.

Nets: 192M net along the reed bed ride (net lengths 1A & 2A) up from 06:30 to 10:30hrs.

Lures:   (none)

Notes: A very quiet session. We had hoped to start picking up a few achrocephalus warblers on passage from further North since there are few local individuals about. Unfortunately so far there is little sign of this. 

CES visit 2026.10 Recaptures: (02)

Dunnock ringed: 05/10/2025.

Wren ringed: 21/06/2026.

Sightings: The highlight of the morning was the immature Marsh Harrier circling over the reed bed.

Just one Swift seen early in the session. Two Magpies spent a while harassing the male

Sparrowhawk. The biggest flock (20+) of Long-tailed Tit I’ve seen this year flew over us. 

Generally, both the scrub and reed bed were quiet.

31/07 Greenham Common

 Location: Greenham Common - Western Enclosure 2026 wk31-Fri

Session: 31/07/2026 07:40 to 10:50hrs

Present: IW, JL.

Weather: cool early, hot later, bright sunshine, light breeze.

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

Lures audio: (BC-CC-FC-GC-GW-WH-LW-WO),(W-WC-RT-SF-TP-YW),(GH),(RT), intermittently.

Firecrest: A “mature” juvenile male - see the photo of the recently fledged individual in the report for the 17/07/2026 in comparison.

Notes: It was meant to be cooler today according to the weather forecast but it soon warmed up. As for many visit recently, there was little movement in, around and over the heath as reflected by only 10 birds being ringed, one more than last year’s matching visit though.

 Recaptures: (0)

Sightings: A probable Lesser Spotted Woodpecker flew south quite high over the heath, but only rear views were obtained, so the identification could not be confirmed. An Adder crossed the path in front of a father, who we heard warning his children; otherwise, we would probably have missed it. Insect activity was limited: there were few butterflies, and one or two dragonflies passed too quickly to identify.