18/10 Thatcham Marsh LNR

Location: Thatcham Marsh LNR non-CES Visit

Session:   18/10/2026 07:00 to 11:15hrs

Present:   IW, JHW, JL.

Weather: sunny clear, cold, breezy

Nets: 72M of nets along the middle section of reed bed ride 07:30 to 10:30hrs.

Lures:   BC-CC-FC-GC-GW-WH-LW-WO, part session ST-RE-FF-RZ, YB, RB, GH  AQ. intermittently. 

Redwing – a first winter, noticably bigger than the other bird; longer winged and about 10grams heavier.

Notes: The first chilly day of the autumn. It was very quiet on the reed bed and unlike last week we didn’t get many birds. The only “summer” migrants ringed being Chiffchaff and Blackcap. Since there was a steady movement west of winter migrants, mostly Redwings, about an hour before the end of the session we tried a thrush lure. We netted three but one escaped as we approached the net.. We hoped to ring a few more but unfortunately some time between the last net round and nets down the ever increasing breeze disconnected the lure unit from the speaker playing the thrush calls and song.

FG = age indeterminate

Recaptures: (None)

Sightings: A Marsh Harrier flew around at nets up (dawn), seemed to be just enjoying flying about as it climbed, circled and dived before flying east. For most of the morning winter thrushes (Redwing and a few Song Thrushes) flew west-ish in groups; approx. 250 to 300 in total . When we turned on the thrush lure some dropped into the surrounding bushes. About 10 chaffinch also arrived mid-morning probably winter migrants as we don’t get many of these as residents since papilloma/trichomonas devastated the local population. Also, a couple of Skylark flew west another sign of wintering birds from the north.