01/09 Greenham Common Western Enclosure

Location: Greenham Common Western Enclosure
Session: 01-Sep-2016 06:45 to 10:25hrs
Headlines: It was foggy and felt very autumnal when I arrive. I could hear phylos activity in the surrounding scrub, so it looked quite hopeful. The first capture disappointed though; just one Chiffchaff. Things picked up after with several Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler on the next round. Following this the species I have been trying to capture for two months turned up in the top of the net rather than the usual bottom shelf; a Dartford Warbler and there was one very happy trainee to ring it. Phylos continued to be captured together with a few Blackcap and the sixth Reed Warbler at this site. Wonder where the flurry of Willow Warbler came from following the drop in numbers recently. Near the end of the session Swallows that had been flying through for much of the morning began to feed low of over the scrub. I put on Swallow calls. In a few minute about 25 Swallow and 50 House Martin were swirling around the nets when suddenly they shrieked in alarm and rose up high in the sky. This usually means some have been captured but on this occasion the cause of the alarm was a male Sparrowhawk over flying. A visit to the nets produced a disappointing swallow-less big fat zero, the hirundine moved off and it was time to clear up and head for home.
Weather: Fog soon clearing to bright sunshine, calm for most of the session and a breeze towards the end.
Present: JL, IW, RJC, GB, SC
Nets: 84metres in five rides of 18M, 18M, 12M, 18M, 18M(3 shelf) up from 07:15 to 10:15hrs
Lure (audio): Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Firecrest, Goldcrest, Redstart, Willow Warbler, Swallow intermittently
Capture (New/Recapture) 20: Blackcap 5/0, Chiffchaff 7/0, Dartford Warbler 1/0, Reed Warbler 1/0, Willow Warbler 5/0, Wren 1/0
Recaptures: none
Age Range: all 1st CY

1st summer male Dartford Warbler

Sightings 25 Species: Missed a few species today, the main feature species of the morning being hirundine otherwise apart from the migrants captured relatively quiet.

Blackcap 7+ Blue Tit 2+ Buzzard 1+ Carrion Crow 3+ Chiffchaff 12+ Coal Tit 1+ Dartford Warbler 1+ Feral Pigeon 2 Green Woodpecker 2+ House Martin 65+ Jackdaw 6+ Lesser Black-backed Gull 2+ Linnet 5+

Magpie 2+ Nuthatch 1+ Reed Warbler 1+ Robin 2+ Sparrowhawk 1 Starling 6+ Stonechat 1+ Swallow 66+ Willow Warbler 7+ Woodlark 5 Woodpigeon 9+ Wren 5+