14/04 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Feeder

Session: 14/04/2024 07:45 to 11:25hrs

Notes: Few birds visiting feeder this morning, most probably staying on territory. Many are coming into breeding condition either having developing brood patches (usually females) or Cloacal protuberances (males). A 2023 hatched Blue Tit with a missing right claw seemed to be coping. We had hoped for a few migrants from the scrub nets but the only one was the last bird of the session our first Willow Warbler ringed this year.

Present: JL,JHW,IW,DL,RAD,IQ.

Weather: bright with sunny periods, cool calm.

Nets: 36M net, 2 6M nets one each side of feeder plus two 12m scrub nets up from 8:00 to 11:00hrs

Lures: Feeders – Fat Balls, Sunflower Heartsx2, Niger, Peanuts.

Recaptures:(03)

Blue Tit               ringed: 13/11/2022, 24/03/2024.

Dunnock             ringed: 14/01/2024.

Sighting: Highlight for most was the first Nightingale of the year )for us) singing in the scrub west of

the car park entrance. Just one Woodlark singing to the east of us this visit and some Swallows

high over heading east, otherwise relatively quiet.

07/04 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Feeder

Session: 07/04/2024 08:00 to 11:00hrs

Notes: Not ideal conditions today as it got windier as the session progress, probably the strongest I can recall ever ringing in towards the end. The nets however were not too badly affected at first as there was some shelter from the 616 building and scrub. We achieved wrangler experience when we rounded up two cows that wandered into the car park entrance from the road and herded them to one of the gates onto the common. Fortunately, a walker was just coming through the gate and held it open for the cows. Several of the birds were coming into breeding condition and we were able to record brood patch scores and cloacal protuberance as appropriate. As expected the number of birds visiting the feeder has dropped significantly this week as they form and stay on breeding territories. We are a bit stuck at the moment as to where to ring, we usually turn our efforts towards Thatcham Marsh but so far this year the access to our rides has remained floaded and looks to remain as such for the foreseeable future. Lets hope for a significant dry spell very soon.

Present: JL, JHW,IW,DL.

Weather: very windy, few spots rain, sunny periods, warm.

Nets: 36M net, two 6M nets one each side of feeder plus two 12m scrub nets up from 8:00 to 11:00hrs

Lures: Feeders – Fat Balls, Sunflower Heartsx2, Niger, Peanuts.

Recaptures:(10)

Blue Tit               ringed: 28/11/2021, 29/10/2023, 14/01/2024, 31/03/2024

Coal Tit               ringed: 14/01/2024.

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

Greenfinch         ringed: 24/12/2023, 28/01/2024, 10/03/2024

Sighting: A couple of Swallow high over mid-session, spotted by IW, were new this year for

some of us. We also watched a pair of Chiffchaff nest building in the adjacent compound,

otherwise the weather rather subdued bird song and movement.

31/03 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Feeder

Session: 31/03/2024 08:00 to 11:00hrs

Notes: A good variety of species today. Included our first Blackcap and Chiffchaff of the year, also a Blue Tit with a very long bill that seemed to be coping with life. Just three Siskin is disappointing, recently there have been quite a few about the feeder. It’s getting quite late for them to be here. They should set off in the next week or so back to their northern breeding grounds. We usually divert our efforts to Thatcham Marsh from now on, but our site is flooded with no access possible for the foreseeable future which is concerning. The flood water looked to be receding until this last week’s heavy rainy period. We will need a prolonged dry spell if we are to start the Constant Effort Site visits at the end of April. Nice to catchup with KMB.

Present: JL, JHW,IW,DL,IQ,KMB

Weather: overcast, cold, breezy.

Nets: 36M net, two 6M nets one each side of feeder, two 12m scrub nets up 08:00 to 11:00hrs

Lures: Feeders – Fat Balls, Sunflower Heartsx2, Niger, Peanuts.

Recaptures:(04)

Blackbird            ringed: 29/10/2023

Blue Tit               ringed: 04/11/2018, 19/02/2020, 30/07/2023(Thatcham Marsh), 22/10/2023, 03/03/2024x2, 10/03/2024x4, 2324/03/2024x2.

Coal Tit               ringed: 28/11/2021.

Goldfinch            ringed: 24/12/2023

Great Tit             ringed: 12/02/2023, 29/10/2023, 03/03/2024, 10/03/2024

Sighting (Ian’s list): Raven flew north carrying twigs. Otherwise, similar to last weeks visit. Chiffchaff seem to have been well established for a couple of weeks and Blackcap encounters beginning to increase, the only other expected migrants seen so far this spring are one or two Willow Warbler and Sand Martin in low numbers. We desperately need a dry spell as the current heavy rainy periods must be a hazard for returning migrants.

26/03 Haysom's Feeder

Location: Haysom’s Feeder

Session: 26/03/2024 09:00 to 12:00hrs

Notes: Not feeling too good at the moment and as rain was forecast decided to stay put and ring the garden feeder. Did better than expected with 13 Siskins so there must have been about 20 coming to the feeder as a few missed the nets. Goldfinch numbers coming to the feeder seem to have dropped over the weekend. I had forgotten that I ringed a Nuthatch here last November.

Present: JL,

Weather: clear sunny, cool, calm.

Nets: 6M net one side of feeder 09:00 to 12:00hrs

Lures: Feeders - Sunflower Heartsx2.

Recaptures:(04)

Blue Tit                ringed: 13/07/2023

Goldfinch            ringed: 17/03/2024

Nuthatch             ringed: 12/11/2023

Siskin                  ringed: 17/03/2024

24/03 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Feeder

Session:24/03/2024 08:00 to 11:00hrs

Notes: Had high hopes that we would ring some Siskin today. About 7 visited the feeders early on but arrived vertically and exited vertically missing the nets. It was quiet early with just a few Blue and Great Tits. About 10:20hrs we had one reasonable round that included several Goldfinch and Greenfinch. Finally on the last round we did manage a single female Siskin. The excitement for me didn’t end there though! We packed all the equipment away, DL left followed by JHW when I tried to start my car the battery was flat. Ian noticed and stay. It was around 11:30hrs and I called the AA who arrived just after 12:00hrs tested and found the battery very iffy and likely to fail again soon. Fortunately, the AA chap was able to replace said battery with a new one he had with him and I was back home by 12:30hr.

Present: JL,JHW,IW,DL,LC.

Weather: clear cloudy later, cold, strong breeze.

Nets: 36M in 4 Rides, two 12M scrub nets and a 6M net each side of feeder

Lures: Feeders - Fat Ball, Sunflower Heartsx2, Niger, Peanuts.

Recaptures:(02)

Blue Tit            ringed: 28/11/2021, 06/03/2022, 27/11/2022, 29/10/2023x4, 10/03/2024x4

Great Tit          ringed: 13/11/2022, 27/11/2023x2, 29/10/2023, 24/12/2023, 14/01/2024, 28/01/2024,          03/03/2024, 10/03/2024x2.

Sighting: Apart from seven Siskins, quiet early with the usual Woodlarks singing over on the

common for much of the session. A flock of 11 Lesser Black-backed Gull flew down towards Lower

Farm and a Willow Warbler was singing nearby as we took the nets down. While we were waiting

for the AA a Sparrowhawk flew over very high southwest and a Brimstone Butterfly flew through,

might have been a Small Tortoiseshell as well but too quick to be sure.