18/07 Thatcham Marsh LNR CES Visit 5

Location: Thatcham Marsh LNR CES Visit 5
Session: 18-Jun-2016 05:30 to 11:00 hrs

Headlines: We could not do visit 5, last weekend, as it was spotting with rain when we arrived and the forecast did not look very promising. Although it looked to me back at my house, a few miles away, that the rain had held off I understand there was heavy rain at the site around 09:30hrs.

36 from the standard nets is a little below the average of 41 for visit 5; range 2013-15, 1993-78. At 151 the cumulative total is 86% of the 176 average for the visit.

Sadly the Mute Swan thought to have been suffering from lead poisoning did not make it. Its decaying remain were found along one of the mist net rides. It had been dead for a few days and been partially eaten probably by a badger.

It was noticeable that the few Sedge Warblers captured were not caught until the second half of the session. Their numbers have been dropping significantly for a number of years now and the capture this year is about 50% of the average of 52 for visits 1 to 5. Half the capture was of Reed Warbler and they are doing better at 92% for the same period. A few juveniles were captured including the first Sedge Warbler.

Weather: Calm early with one or two sunny periods, clouding over later when the wind began gusting a little.
Present: JL, IW, DL, JHW, SC, RGS
Nets: 246Metres: 108+90M reed bed ride and scrub rides of 12M and 2x18M up from 06:00 to 10:00hrs
Lure (none):
Capture (New/Recapture) 45 (22/23): Blackcap 6/1, Blue Tit 2/0, Cetti’s Warbler 1/2, Chiffchaff 1/0, Dunnock 1/0, Reed Warbler 7/17, Sedge Warbler 2/1, Song Thrush 1/0, Wren 1/2
Recaptures: 23, all less than 100days except: Cetti’s Warbler 1y 307d, 307d Reed Warbler 3y 326d, 1y 33d, 1y 25d, 1y 12d, 346d, 336d, 328d, and a 317d individual ringed at Midgham GPs.
Age Range: All adults except juveniles: Blackcap 3, Blue Tit 1, Cetti’s Warbler 1, Sedge Warbler 1

Sightings 40 Species: A peregrine soared over the marsh for quite a while mid-session. Otherwise there were notable absences such as Great Tit and Common Tern.

Blackbird Blackcap Black-headed Gull Blue Tit Buzzard Canada Goose Carrion Crow Cetti's Warbler Chaffinch Chiffchaff Coot Cormorant Dunnock Garden Warbler Goldcrest Goldfinch Great Spotted Woodpecker Green Woodpecker Grey Wagtail Jackdaw

Jay Lesser Black-backed Gull Little Grebe Magpie Mallard Moorhen Mute Swan Peregrine 1 Pochard Red Kite Reed Bunting Reed Warbler Robin Sedge Warbler Song Thrush Starling Swift Tufted Duck Woodpigeon Wren