06/08 Thatcham marsh LNR CES Visit 10

Location: Thatcham marsh LNR CES Visit 10

Session: 06-Aug-2016 05:45 to 10:30hrs

Headlines: Another very disappointing session, not unexpected I suppose as the whole site is quiet bird-wise, most of the Acrocephalus have gone and even the Cetti’s Warblers were quiet. A passing fisherman asking what we were doing and telling us that there are plenty of kingfishers about just over the railway line didn’t help.

14 is by far the lowest capture for visit 10 when the average is 41: range 22-2013 to 85-1995. Cumulative total is 287 and the average to visit ten is 405: range 291-2013 to 638-1995. The expectation for the final two visits of the season is low.

Weather: Cold with an autumnal mist early condensing to form droplets on the nets, clearing to sunny, bright and reasonably warm and calm as the sun came over the tree line.

Present: JL, IW, DL, JHW, GB, SC

Nets: 198metres of standard net in one reed bed ride and 48metres of additional nets in three scrub rides, up from 06:00 to 10:00hrs.

Lure (none): with such a poor capture, it is very hard not to try audio when you know you will do better if you did; roll on visit twelve the trainees and all are getting restless.

Capture (New/Recapture) 18 (13/5), 14 in the standard nets : Blue Tit 1/1, Chiffchaff 3/1, Reed Warbler 4/1, Robin 1/1, Wren 4/1

Recaptures: 5, all recent except Blue Tit 321d, Robin 2y 340d.

Age Range: all 1st calendar year except: Blue tit 1, Chiffchaff 1, Reed Warbler 1, Robin 1

Sightings 34 Species: As mentioned above the whole site appeared to be quiet with little activity on the reed bed.  The Buzzard nest “over the back” was noisy all morning and the Sparrowhawk was carrying prey. In one big ash tree several phylos were seen feeding. A lone Swift was seen and the Common Terns presumably from the nearby rafts were also very active. Probably missed a few birds and species which is strange given there was little else to do; to much chat I think.

Blackbird 1 Blackcap 1 Black-headed Gull 3 Blue Tit 3 Bullfinch 2 Buzzard 2 Canada Goose 42 Carrion Crow 1 Cetti's Warbler 2 Chaffinch 1 Chiffchaff 9 Common Tern 2 Cormorant 2 Goldcrest 1 Goldfinch 2 Green Woodpecker 1 Grey Heron 1

Jackdaw 1 Jay 2 Little Egret 1 Little Grebe 2 Magpie 2 Mallard 2 Moorhen 1 Pochard 1 Reed Bunting 1 Reed Warbler 5 Robin 4 Sparrowhawk 1 Swallow 2 Swift 1 Water Rail 1 Woodpigeon 5 Wren 4