23/02 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Feeder

Session: 23/02/2025 07:45 to 10:30hrs.

Notes: The weather was not suitable really but thought we might get away with it for a while as the wind speed was forecast at 15mph, around the maximum for mist net ringing. Unfortunately, the feeder was not as sheltered as expected as the wind was blowing from the south where there is little screening from the surrounding trees. On arriving at the feeder, it appeared to have been tampered with or the recent strong winds may have affected it. The Sunflower feeder was hanging by one of the two wire loop connections, and the peanut feeder was empty when it had been about 60% full Friday lunchtime, both having been topped up Thursday and until now this winter have still had plenty of food in them the following Monday, the next top up. As it turned out few birds (3) came to the feeder when the nets were up, others may have arrived by had been put off by the bellowing nets. The other four birds came from the scrub net. A just over five year old Blue Tit is notable. We finished early as the wind got stronger and the birds were probably keeping to the shelter of the nearby woodland and scrub.

Present: JL,IW,DL,LC.

Weather: overcast, cool, windy.

Nets: 2x6M nets, one each side of feeder, plus a 12M scrub net up from 08:00 to 10:10hrs.

Lures (Feeder):, Niger, Sunflower Hearts, Peanuts.

Recaptures: (07) 

Blue Tit   ringed: 01/12/2019, 26/02/2023, 22/10/2023.

Great Tit ringed: 12/03/2023, 27/10/2024, 02/02/2025.

Robin     ringed: 02/02/2025.

Sightings: At least one Woodlark was singing over gravel scrub to the east for most of the morning

and intermittently it or another sang to the south out on the main heath. They seem to like the

blustery weather slowly flying high up around their territory singing, they don’t hover as much as

Skylarks.