Sunday 2 April 2017

02/04 Thatcham Marsh LNR

Location: Thatcham Marsh LNR
Session: 02-Apr-2017 07:15 to 11:00hrs
Headlines: I nice spring morning with plenty of activity in the trees and scrub. Early April is when we hope to capture a summer migrant or two. The first capture was a Chiffchaff and later we captured one of three Sedge Warbler singing in the reed bed. Given the activity particularly by Chiffchaff and Blackcap we hoped to capture a few but they spent much of their time feeding and singing. A captured blackbird that dragged the net into a bramble kept us busy for a while but we eventually got it out with no damage to the net as far as we could see. As often here the captures dropped off as the morning progress. Duncan manage to retrieve the bridge without incident; hopefully in future some of the younger members will be in attendance and save our anxiety.
Weather: bright, sunny, breezy, warm.
Present: JL, IW, DL
Nets: 234metres: one reed bed ride of 108M and one 36M scrub ride. Up from 07:30 to 10:30hrs
Lure (none):
Capture (New/Recapture)
16(8/8)
Species
New
Rtp
1stCY
2ndCY+
BLABI
1


1
CETWA

2

2
CHIFF
1


1
DUNNO

1

1
GOLDC
2
2
3
1
LOTTI
1
1

2
REEBU
2

2

SEDWA
1


1
WREN

2
2

Recaptures: (8) Cetti’s Warbler 1y 180d, 218d, Dunnock 3y 206d Goldcrest  154d, 115d Long-tailed Tit 210d Wren 273d, 260d

The first Sedge Warbler of 2017
Sightings 38 Species: While putting up the my nets I kept thinking I had heard a Sedge Warbler in the distance; sometimes the ambience of the place can pay tricks so I was not sure. Fortunately a few minutes later one burst into full song right by the end of the net. A couple of small Sand Martin flocks drifted over north during the morning. Earlier we heard Willow Warbler singing and like the Sedge Warblers they went silent later having probably move on. The bird of the day however was seen while waiting at the gate first thing. Something unusual dropped in catching Ian and Duncan's attention, a House Sparrow; can't remember the last time one was reported here.

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