21/08 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common - Western Enclosure 2026 wk34-Fri

Session: 21/08/2026 07:40 to 10:50hrs.

Present: IW, JL.

Weather: Sunny some cloud, light breeze, cool early warm later.

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.

 

Blackcap -Female and Male

Notes: A bit of a Blackcap morning this session. We also are doing well for Blue Tits here this year, our total to date of 65 already exceeds some year totals for the whole of the week 24 to week 45 period.  Interestingly a similar capture to last years wk34 matching visit except the 2025 visit had better species variety.

Recaptures: (2)

Blackcap: ringed: 25/07/2026 (Thatcham Marsh LNR)

Blue Tit: ringed: 31/10/2025

Sightings: Apart from Blackcaps many of which were already in the scrub when we arrived and before the lures were turned on, very little else on the move. The Grey Wagtail flew west at nets up. There were a few more “resident” species about than of late such as Robin and Stonechat. One or two finch types flew over quite high but remained brown jobs as they didn’t call and we couldn’t see any plumage features. The Small Copper was the only butterfly seen.

18/08 Greenham Common

 Location: Greenham Common - Western Enclosure 2026 wk34-Tue

Session: 18/08/2026 07:40 to 10:50hrs

Present: IW, JL, JHW.

Weather: Overcast, warm, light breeze; bit of spotting early but no sign of any rain despite the low cloud..

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.

One  of today’s Willow Warblers - a 1st year bird; adults having left soon after young fledged.

Notes: Overcast with low cloud and a bit of spotting but still warm. Just a steady flow of birds mostly Blackcaps (8) and Willow Warblers (3). Fewer birds than last year’s matching visit and less variety.

Also, should you be wondering why no CES visit 11 report for last weekend, it’s because we were locked out, not the best experience after getting up at 05:00hrs on Saturday – somebody had added a new lock bypassing the master lock and apparently it is not the fishermen or BBOWT; hopefully it will be dealt with by this coming Saturday or we will fail to do a schedule CES visit for the first time in 32 years!

Recaptures: (0) 

Sightings: 30+ Swallows all in one gathering flew North and a bit later 40+ House Martins drifted South. We haven’t had a Bullfinch here for a while and the Starlings were flying Northwest in double figure groups. We don’t often see Rabbit here, they tend to remain in cover to avoid dogs etc. Noted the Black Ants because I have not seen any ants recently, these I saw running up and down a fence post looking for food. 

As for recent visit fewer birds about generally.

14/08 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common - Western Enclosure 2026 wk33-Fri

Session: 14/08/2026 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. 

Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff – all birds of the year.

Notes: The first round after nets up we extracted 19 birds. It was single figures each net round thereafter. Two adult Blue Tits is unusual this time of year for here. It got very hot towards the end of the session even though it was supposed to be less hot than yesterday; think it was near the same.

Recaptures: (0) 

Sightings: A large gathering (by today's standards) of at least 20 Swallows mid-session drifting south-ish, some of the singles went north though! Lesser Black-backed Gulls over are the first for a while. A possible Green Sandpiper flew low west to fast for us to be certain of the ID. A Clouded Yellow was one of the few butterflies seen.

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.