30/06 Greenham Common Western Enclosure

Location: Greenham Common Western Enclosure

Session: 30-Jun-2016 06:15 to 10:20hrs

Headlines: Had unloaded my car for its MOT so had to reload quietly before I left early this morning. First capture, two garden warblers, an adult female ringed here Jun 2013 and a juvenile. It was a steady capture after that with one or two or none per round. Willow Warbler had been very quiet with just the odd snatch of song so two in the nets when we went to take them down was good. The adult was in primary moult reminding that this species moults here before it migrates and again while at winter quarters; one of the few passerines that has a full moult twice annually. Other than that fairly routine.

Weather: Sunny periods, calm, cool, breezy later.

Present: JL. IW

Nets: 48Metres three rides of 18, 18, 12 metres up from 06:30 to 10:00hrs

Lure (none):

Capture (New/Recapture) 13 (9/3): Blackbird 2/0, Chiffchaff 2/1, Dunnock 1/0, Garden Warbler 1/1, Robin 2/0, Willow Warbler 1/1

Recaptures: 3 Chiffchaff 350d (16/07/2015), Garden Warbler 3y 12d (18/06/2013 ringed as an adult so at least in its fifth year) Willow Warbler 86d

Age Range: All juveniles except Adults: Blackbird 2, Chiffchaff 2, Garden Warbler 1, Willow Warbler 1

Sightings 36 Species: A bit more activity today, at least three Dartfords seen, might have been more. Two adults were left legged ringed; wonder where they came from as they were not the birds I saw carrying food last week. Swift numbers are building, seems only yesterday they arrived and now they look to be gathering to leave, probably will be gone by the end of July. A few swallows sweeping the grassy areas and a small flock of juvenile starlings there around the cattle. There were at least two juvenile stonechats along the enclosure fence, but like the dartfords they manage to avoid the nets. One of the woodlarks put in an appearance dropping into the enclosure and avoided a net as it flew off landed on the gravel and disappeared. It is noticeable on recent visits that blackcaps are scarce on the common; not heard or seen on this or the preceding visit and I think one maybe two territories this year, usually there are several territories along the margins and in the scrub.

A text from Adrian saying the firecrest was singing interrupted me writing this while I nipped along the road to have a look for it. It has been there for some time now, wonder if it bred?

Blackbird 7+ Blue Tit 4+ Carrion Crow 3+ Chiffchaff 5+ Coal Tit 3+ Dartford Warbler 3+ Dunnock 3+ Firecrest 1 Garden Warbler 3+ Goldcrest 1+ Goldfinch 5+ Great Spotted Woodpecker 2+ Great Tit 1+ Green Woodpecker 1+ Greenfinch 1+ House Martin 2+ Jackdaw 5+ Kestrel 1

Linnet 15+ Little Egret 1 Long-tailed Tit 5+ Meadow Pipit 2+ Nuthatch 2+ Robin 6+ Song Thrush 2+ Starling 12 Stock Dove 2+ Stonechat 2+ Swallow 2+ Swift 18+ Treecreeper 1+ Whitethroat 4+ Willow Warbler 6+ Woodlark 1+ Woodpigeon 8+ Wren 2+