15/04 Thatcham Marsh LNR

Location: Thatcham Marsh LNR CES Site
Session: 15-Apr-2018 07:30 to 11:00hrs

Headlines: Not a bad session today, a couple of nice captures: Reed Warbler and Willow Warbler also some of the Chiffchaff that stayed in the trees last week came down low enough for us to process eight birds. Not much sign of birds coming into breeding condition yet except for  male each of: Cetti’s Warbler, Chiffchaff and Long-tailed Tit; no brood patches detected.

Weather: Overcast, cool, calm, a few spots of rain mid late session
Present: JL, IW, JHW, JPM, GB, SC
Nets: 210metres 108m+90M reed bed ride and 12M scrub ride up from 08:00 to 10:30hrs
Lure ( none ):
Capture (New/Recapture)

14(10/04)
Species New Rtp 1st CY 2nd+CY CETWA 2 1 indeterminate CHIFF 6 2 indeterminate LOTTI 1 indeterminate REEWA 1 indeterminate WILWA 1 indeterminate	No equivalent 2017 session

Recaptures: (04) recent except:

Cetti’s Warbler ringed 27-Aug-2016
Chiffchaff ringed 03-Jun-2017
Long-tailed Tit ringed 04-Oct-2015

Sightings 43 Species: Ian’s list, no Sedge Warblers, on the reed bed, this week, just the single Reed Warbler, a couple of Reed Buntings and two or three calling water rail. One of the local Ravens was quite active stirring up the crows as it flew around calling. Two Oystercatchers also flew over calling, two of several reported locally this weekend. A nice end to the morning was when my first Cuckoo of the year flew over calling as I carried my equipment back from the reed bed.