29/03 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Feeder.

Session: 29/03/2026 07:35 to 11:20hrs

Present: JHW, JL, IW, IQ, LC, JA, DB.

Weather: overcast, with bright periods, cold, breezy.

Nets: 6+6M feeder nets + 3no 12M scrub nets up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs.

Lures (Feeder): peanut feeder and a sunflower heart feeder.

The pair of Nuthatch ringed today - female to the left male to the right (darker breast plumage)

Notes: The last schedules session here this winter/spring – few birds attending feeder. Some late Siskins today, another wave seem to be going through after most disappeared a week or so ago when the ringed Siskin in my garden stopped coming – no ringed birds in the gatherings seen here or my garden this week. The session started with an Oct 2024 ringed Blackbird from the scrub nets followed by some Siskin, Goldfinch and Great Tit from the feeder. Small numbers each round thereafter included Goldfinch and Great Tit with the occasional Blue Tit or two and a male and female Nuthatch, probably a pair as one had a CP and the other a BP beginning to develop. A single Greenfinch and a Robin both in breeding condition followed and a final Siskin, and Great Tit with a Feb 2024 ringed Dunnock from the scrub nets at the close of the session. We had hoped for the first migrant (Chiffchaff) of the year from the scrub nets but all we got was plenty of singing in the surrounding trees, same as last week.

FG = age indeterminate

Recaptures: (09)

Blackbird ringed: 13/10/2024

Blue Tit ringed: 01/02/2026, 08/03/2026, 23/03/2026.

Dunnock ringed: 03/02/2024.

Great Tit ringed: 26/10/2025, 21/12/2025x2

Nuthatch ringed: 15/03/2026.

Sightings: IW's list with a few amendments -another quiet session and probably missed a few. First time I've seen Raven activity for a couple of weeks during visits at least three times a week (topping up feeders etc.) - possibly young have hatched in the nest in the treeline along the road. A few birds were hanging around the feeder at nets down - some more Greenfinch, Siskin etc and a pair of Mallards flew over. No Blackcap singing this week those heard during last weekends session have probably moved on.

Birds: 29 Species