19/07 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Western Enclosure (wk29)
Session: 19/07/2023 07:35 to 10:50hrs

Today's Juvenile Stonechat

Notes: Started off well this morning, the first full net round produced eight birds to ring including a juvenile Stonechat as well as Chiffchaff, Blackcap, a Garden Warbler and a Whitethroat, all before 08:30hrs. We anticipated a capture similar to yesterday, but the birds stopped coming, and for the next few net rounds the nets were empty. On the last full net round net after 10:00hrs six more birds had been called into the nets including a juvenile Coal Tit. The other two birds were singles at nets up and nets down. A quiet morning, always interesting though.

Present: JL,IW
Weather: overcast early, sunny periods later, light to breezy, warm
Nets: 48metres 3 Rides, 18M, 18M and 12M up from 08:00 to 10:30hrs
Lures: Warblers, Misc Migrants, GH, RT intermittently.

Recaptures: (00) none

Sightings:  Fewer swifts about today but unlike yesterday we had a few overflying species including two Little Egrets heading towards Lower Farm GP. As yesterday no Dunnock seen or heard and just one Robin, a juvenile, seen. We managed to get better views of one of the large dragonflies that have speedily flown around too fast to ID over the last couple of visits. The one seen today we decided was a Southern Hawker after consulting a field guide. Lots of Gatekeeper butterflies about, gave up counting them at 13.