08/04 Thatcham Marsh LNR

Location: Thatcham Marsh LNR
Session: 08-Mar-2018 07:30 to 11:00hrs

Headlines: The rainy weather just missed us apart from some spits and spots towards the end of the session. We had quite a good session including the first Sedge Warbler of the season. Only a few birds showed signs of coming into breeding condition. One good round of seven birds otherwise just two or three each check. Last year’s equivalent had a similar total but included more migrant species more confirmation that this year is a late spring.

Weather: overcast, few spits and spots, calm
Present: JL, JHW, RGS, RDW, IW, VG, JPM
Nets: 210metres  in 3 rides, 198M of reed bed ride and 12M of scrub ride up from 08:00 to 10:30 hrs
Lure (none):
Capture (New/Recapture)                              Matching visit 09-Apr-2017

19(11/08)	23(12/11)
Species New Rtp 1st CY 2nd+CY BLABI 1 1 BLUTI 2 1 3 CETWA 4 Indeterminate CHIFF 2 Indeterminate DUNNO 2 1 1 GRETI 1 1 LOTTI 1 Indeterminate REEBU 2 Indeterminate SEDWA 1 Indeterminate WREN 1 1 1 Indt	Species New Rtp 1st CY 2nd+CY BULLF 1 1 CETWA 3 Indeterminate CHIFF 4 1 Indeterminate DUNNO 1 Indeterminate GOLDC 2 2 GREFI 1 1 LOTTI 1 Indeterminate REEBU 1 1 Indeterminate ROBIN 2 1 1 SEDWA 3 Indeterminate SONTH 1 1

Recaptures: (08) others recent

BLUTI             1, ringed 20/06/2017 (Z876088 3j at St Marks)
CETWA          2, ringed 07/09/2014 and 10/09/2017,
GRETI            1, ringed 03/09/2017
LOTTI             1, ringed 02/04/2017
WREN            1, ringed 06/08/2017

Cetti's Warbler, a new female on size; no sign of coming into breeding condition yet

The first Sedge Warbler of the 2018 season, probably on stopover before moving north

Sightings 41 Species: A couple of Swallows over together with Sedge Warbler, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcap shows the return of summer migrants to be underway. Diving duck courtship flights also a feature of the morning.