30/09 Greenham Common Western Enclosure

Location: Greenham Common Western Enclosure
Session: 30-Sep-2016 07:30 to 11:00hrs
Headlines: Started a little later than intended today, seems to be becoming a habit. Since I got back from my break the weather has been to windy and unsettled for ringing. Today was marginal and we know we lost some captures due to the breeze; crests not held in the net pockets. The Dartford Warbler was a nice early capture. Two were in the enclosure when I arrived. The few Meadow Pipits flying about did not respond to calls, neither did the Swallows that flew low over the heath south. Still a few Chiffchaff and Blackcap to capture, some of the former were quite long winged 65mm, well into Willow Warbler range. Expected more crests today, at least we got some though. No sign of any winter thrushes or finches yet; Ian thought he had redpoll but couldn’t be sure. Won’t be long now though and of course there is always a chance of Yellow-browed Warbler, there has already been a good arrival along the east coast so hopefully a good year will bring some inland.
Weather: Fine, sunny, cool, breezy
Present: JL, IW
Nets: 48metres in three rides of 18M, 18M, 12M up from 08:00 to 10:30hrs
Lure (audio): Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Firecrest, Goldcrest, Meadow Pipit, Swallow, Redpoll Capture (New/Recapture) 13 (12/1): Blackcap 3/0, Chiffchaff 5/1, Dartford Warbler 1/0, Goldcrest 3/0
Recaptures: 1 Chiffchaff 70days: ringed 22/07, recaptured 02/09 and today.
Age Range:  all 1st CY except adult Dartford Warbler 1

Chiffchaff 1st CY

Adult Male Dartford Warbler

Sightings 32 Species: Swallows going through south most of the morning; probably a lot more than we counted. A flock of about 50 Starlings was joined by several small flocks flying in from the west late morning. No sign of Stonechat today. There were just a few migrants in the scrub, together one or two Blue Tits mostly along the margins of the wood.

Blackbird 3+ Blackcap 5+ Blue Tit 2+ Carrion Crow 5+ Chiffchaff 12+ Coal Tit 1+ Dartford Warbler 2+ Dunnock 1+ Feral Pigeon 1 Goldcrest 6+ Goldfinch 2+ Green Woodpecker 1+ Grey Wagtail 3+ House Martin 7+ Jackdaw 10+ Jay 2+

Kestrel 1 Linnet 2+ Magpie 4+ Meadow Pipit 5+ Nuthatch 1+ Pied Wagtail (yarrellii) 2+ Red Kite 1 Robin 3+ Rook 4+ Sparrowhawk 1 Starling 79+ Stock Dove 2+ Swallow 26+ Woodlark 2+ Woodpigeon 15+ Wren 2+