18/10 Thatcham Marsh LNR

Location: Thatcham Marsh LNR non-CES Visit

Session:   18/10/2026 07:00 to 11:15hrs

Present:   IW, JHW, JL.

Weather: sunny clear, cold, breezy

Nets: 72M of nets along the middle section of reed bed ride 07:30 to 10:30hrs.

Lures:   BC-CC-FC-GC-GW-WH-LW-WO, part session ST-RE-FF-RZ, YB, RB, GH  AQ. intermittently. 

Redwing – a first winter, noticably bigger than the other bird; longer winged and about 10grams heavier.

Notes: The first chilly day of the autumn. It was very quiet on the reed bed and unlike last week we didn’t get many birds. The only “summer” migrants ringed being Chiffchaff and Blackcap. Since there was a steady movement west of winter migrants, mostly Redwings, about an hour before the end of the session we tried a thrush lure. We netted three but one escaped as we approached the net.. We hoped to ring a few more but unfortunately some time between the last net round and nets down the ever increasing breeze disconnected the lure unit from the speaker playing the thrush calls and song.

FG = age indeterminate

Recaptures: (None)

Sightings: A Marsh Harrier flew around at nets up (dawn), seemed to be just enjoying flying about as it climbed, circled and dived before flying east. For most of the morning winter thrushes (Redwing and a few Song Thrushes) flew west-ish in groups; approx. 250 to 300 in total . When we turned on the thrush lure some dropped into the surrounding bushes. About 10 chaffinch also arrived mid-morning probably winter migrants as we don’t get many of these as residents since papilloma/trichomonas devastated the local population. Also, a couple of Skylark flew west another sign of wintering birds from the north.

11/10 Thatcham Marsh LNR

Location: Thatcham Marsh LNR non-CES Visit

Session:   11/10/2026 07:00 to 11:15hrs

Present:   IW, JHW, RAD, IQ.

Weather: cloudy, calm, cool

Nets: 72M of nets along the middle section of reed bed ride + 12M scrub net up from 07:30 to 10:45hrs.

Lures:   BC-CC-FC-GC-GW-WH-LW-WO intermittently.

    Woodpigeon – Adult, we don’t oftem ring these they usally free themselves from the nets.

Notes: JL attended late in the session, arriving just after 40 birds had been extracted in one net round of the session. 16 Long-tailed Tits made up over of a third of the birds from this round. 53 is the best total we’ve had at this site for sometime. Just one Blackcap and seven Chiffchaffs were summer migrants. The Goldcrests may have been early wintering birds from further north. We don’t rush to get to woodpigeons if they are still in the net when we arrive usually they free themselves as we approach; often the only reason we know one has been in the nets is the few feathers they leave behind.

FG = age indeterminate

Recaptures: (07)
Blue Tit ringed: 30/03/2025, 26/07/2025, 21/06/2026, 04/07/2026.
Bullfinch ringed: 11/08/2024.
Dunnock ringed: 22/08/2026.
Robin ringed: 22/08/2026

Sightings: Field sheet list, may have missed a few.

20/09 Thatcham Marsh LNR

Location: Thatcham Marsh LNR non-CES Visit
Session:  20/09/2026 07:00 to 11:15hrs.
Present:   IW, JHW, RAD, JL.
Weather: Sunny periods, breezy, cool.
Nets: 66M of nets along the middle section of reed bed ride + 12M scrub net up from 07:30 to 10:45hrs.
Lures:   (BC-CC-FC-GC-GW-WH-LW-WO),(W-WC-RT-SF-TP-YW),(GH),(YB),(RT), intermittently.

Reed Bunting – we ringed a male and female today, both fledged this year.

Notes: Still have problems with access. For this visit the main BBOWT lock which we have key for was absent, so we had to walk our equipment down to the site; not a happy experience just after dawn! I went to Estovers Friday 18th to borrow the fishing club key as a fallback but was told it was not available, also no mention of the BBOWT lock being removed.

As it was not a CES visit we used audio lures and a shorter length of mist net on the reed bed ride. We had two good net rounds when most of the forty one total were ringed. Blackcaps and Chiffchaff dominated, though the former was not in the numbers of last years matching visit. Scarce for this site in recent years were the two Reed Buntings and the “latish” Willow Warbler. 

FG = age indeterminate

Recaptures: (01)

Cetti’s warbler ringed: 30/08/2026.

Sightings: We were quite busy for most of the session so probably missed a few. Of note were eight

Ravens over south, probably a family group, also a small hairstreak like butterfly that was flying along

the hedgerow to fast to get an ID. 

18/09 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common - Western Enclosure 2026 wk38-Fri.

Session: 18/09/2026 07:40 to 10:55hrs.

Present: IW, JHW, JL.

Weather: cloudy with sunny periods light breeze sometimes stronger, cool.

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. 

Stonechat – juvenile - two white inner greater coverts indicates it to be a male (JHW).

Notes: Nice to ring a Stonechat, like Dartford Warblers they are often in and around the nets, but they only occasionally go in them and we don’t lure them as they rarely react to their calls etc. Both of the Robins ringed (unusually for the time of year adults) had what looked like fungal skin infections in addition one showed signs of feather degradation. Otherwise, a typical mid-September session here dominated by migrating Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs.

Recaptures: (0)

Sightings: Just a few groups of Swallows through today also late in the session a small gathering of House Martin quite high up. Three high flying Jays descended into the woodland to the north, probably looking for acorns which I think are scarce this year due to hot dry summer. Quite a lot of Stonechat activity – chasing each other etc, think the adults might have been kicking the youngsters out. Yesterday there were quite few Autumn Lady’s-tresses at the Crookham end of the common, but we only noticed one plant around the enclosure today – all of those seen do not look as big or vigorous as in normal years.

15/09 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common - Western Enclosure 2026 wk38-Tue.

Session: 15/09/2026 07:40 to 10:25hrs.

Present: IW, JL, JHW.

Weather: Overcast, light breeze, cool, rained at 10:00hrs.

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

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

Today’s Lesser Whitethroat and a Chiffchaff (reluctant to leave)

Notes: First ringing session after week away. As expected for mid-Sep mostly Blackcap and Chiffchaff on the move today with a late-ish Lesser Whitethroat. Otherwise, a few Blue and Great Tits moving about the common also a Goldcrest and Goldfinch – the former’s numbers should begin to increase as birds from northern UK and Europe return to winter here. As forecast light rain began at around 10:00hrs so nets down early.

Recaptures: (2)

Great Tit: ringed: 14/06/2026. 21/08/2026.

Sightings: A big movement of Swallows mostly going south for much of the morning – probably missed a few when ringing etc also many still going through as I drove back to exit the common by the control tower. We don’t often detect Meadow Pipits this end of the common in recent years. Also Stonechats and Dartford Warblers spent much of the morning in the gorse scrub around the enclosure.