Wash Wader Ringing Group

Thursday 21st July

On morning tide MW and DW recced the Terrington coastline and NC went to Snettisham/Heacham. At 05:50 there were three swirling knot flocks totalling about 15,000 birds assembling offshore and curlew scattered over much of the more distant saltings. By 06:00 the main curlew flock of around 700 was in the salting slightly to the left of straight out, still well spread and with some grey waders, maybe 100+ knot and some dunlin. The knot flocks stayed on the tide line and by 06:30 had lifted and disappeared into the sunrise around the Snettisham direction. There were swifts passing through, skylarks singing, loads of meadow pipits, hares coming off the marsh, a pair of oystercatchers on territory, little egrets and a hunting marsh harrier, altogether a perfect morning.

The group started to assemble at about lunchtime and a decision was made to set 2 clap-net pairs, the new small-mesh nets, at right angles to the sea wall, to the left of the Terrington White Barn. Salad supper behind the sea wall and manned the nets from around 17.30, with DW, MS and HH in the hide on the sea wall. 20 curlew settled in early with the decoys and a few dunlin and redshank joined them, the main nucleus of the curlew flock stood to the east of the catching area. There followed a frustrating series of lifts and resettles each time a small wader flock passed along the tide line beyond the area but dunlin numbers gradually built up to an estimated 180-200 when the nets were fired. The nets flew perfectly in the calm air with a good overlap and hardly a bird escaped.

All were processed. The main amusement of the evening was after we had packed up. NC's car was on the top of the sea wall where he had left it on returning from a recce. He turned it round, driving down the seaward side of the wall to do so. We all watched as he struggled to persuade the car to come back up on to the top of the wall with much revving of engine, spinning of wheels and black exhaust smoke. Finally he recalled that the car possessed four-wheel drive and the problem was solved as he put it in to the correct gear and pulled easily on to the wall and away, the laughter of the team ringing in his ears. In bed by 23:00.

Friday 22nd July

Up 04:00. Reset on the same area, now rather wetter. Two small mesh nets, this time in a clap net pair parallel to the sea wall, necessitating a small hide (NC) on the salting to the west of the deep creek, as well as a hide on the sea wall as before, to assess numbers. This morning the wind was higher, 4-5 NW, there were fewer curlew and perhaps more dunlin. Dunlin trickled in consistently to the decoys and we fired on an estimated 300 dunlin plus a single curlew. The nets billowed in the wind a little with an apparent loss of about one third of the catch, the final total 209 dunlin and one curlew.

All were processed, the nets taken off the marsh before breakfast. Before leaving the marsh NC RR and DW marked some net areas on pools nearer Ongar Hill for possible future use. The area where the large black tailed godwit flock NC had seen on his recce had been roosting was judged too wet to catch on, the big flock standing in water in long vegetation.

Part of the team now went to Lincolnshire; an account of their activities will be found here

After breakfast the discussion included MW's morning recce of Kite Hill. Unlike NC the previous morning, MW had seen substantial numbers of knot in the Ken Hill field although it was growing an unidentified green crop probably as game cover. This is the field where TG had seen roosting knot a few weeks earlier: they were clearly there again. MW had seen 5-10K knot on the beach at Snettisham disturbed by a jogger, lift confidently and settle on this field. Permission was confirmed and we went to set there. As we drove along the old railway line to the north of the Snettisham Beach road we passed hayfields with large round bales surrounded by substantial numbers of loafing curlew. The field itself was sparsely vegetated with a dock-family plant and a variety of lush weeds around the edges. In the centre barer patches were covered in small and large droppings, and oystercatcher feathers. To avoid disturbing the vegetation we meticulously planned the set, four full-sized/narrow nets in two pairs roughly at right angles to the sea firing towards each other but not overlapping in the middle. Each net was lifted on the edge of the field, furled off the ground by the team standing in line, then walked to the correct spot and 'ushed' in under the foliage with strenuous efforts not to damage any plants. This is a newly-coined and useful cannon-netting word. To 'ush' = to carefully place a net and arrange growing vegetation around and over it to conceal it. After we had placed the first two nets it was realised that both were upside down so we had to re-form our line, pick each net up and pirouette it to the correct place. This manoeuvre necessitates the people on the ends running to keep up and one lucky person in the middle standing still. DW pulled rank to get the cushy job. The second two nets were ushed in to position uneventfully. The team was slow and tired, the field was very solid silt and TP became something of a hero hole-digger. Metre -wide safety zones were trampled in front of the nets and all the way back to the hides. All this took time and four hours before the tide the first oystercatcher flew over (not knot, note, was this telling us something?) By three-and a half hours before more birds were coming over and we abandoned the set with electrics not quite complete. At this stage the farmer arrived and we chatted about his variety of game cover and alien seeding. The crop is buckwheat, conjuring up thoughts of blinis (buckwheat pancakes) and caviar. He is keen to manage the farm for birds and plants but cannot raise the water table because of flooding risk to nearby houses in Snettisham.

Supper was spag bol with most people too tired and full to eat pudding, the first people retired by 20:30 for an 03:00 rise time the following morning, (allowing time to complete the set.)

Saturday 23rd July

Up 03:00. Completing the net set in the near-dark was a bit fraught with electrical problems on one cable and then the unexplained failure of the telephone between the hides. One hide had to be moved to get it more in line with the net. In the hides by 05:30, when a few curlew and oyks flew over; three Curlew and Oyk landing in the catching area. These were put off by a Harrier which was attracted by decoys and had to be dissuaded by NC, sprinting from the hide. Then no birds came until 06.30. PI sent to beach to see what was happening at 06:30. Found Oystercatchers present in good numbers (ca. 500) but few knot. Drove behind sea wall to see if Knot on Snettisham. Meanwhile grockles disturbed some of the Oyks which mainly flew inland giving ca.100 in catching area. PI reported no birds on Snettisham so asked to twinkle remaining Oystercatchers from Heacham. These flew inland. On the field Oystercatchers piled in, mainly between the two pairs of nets, but a lot of them, and when all had arrived the 4 nets were fired, catching all but those between the two nets. The Knot weren't seen all morning,

Before returning to field PI reccied Heacham Far North, finding 400 Sanderling. All catch processed with return to base for breakfast mid-day.

Left for the saltmarsh at 16:30, half hour later than originally intended. Set 2x small mesh nets on mist net pool. Just finished when cattle appeared. Attempt to head off failed. Stampeded herd over the catching area. Several further attempts to get them off our bit of marsh failed. Eventually decided to leave them to become settled and have our meal. After this a further attempt at removing cattle, eventually successful. Quickly sorted out trampled nets and team into position. PI and JAC manned hide on seawall. Mud just finished covering and soon couple of Redshank in area. Dunlin flocks came onto saltmarsh but chose field further east. MW sent from the sea wall to discourage these. This worked and dunlin started landing in our nets. Missed an initial opportunity to fire whilst checking MW was not in line of fire. Further birds landed, JC and PI quickly deciding which net had fewer and got base to fire this before there were too many to catch on the rising tide.

Processed behind sea wall, the intention to fully process everything being given up when the generator failed near the end of processing.

Back to base and in bed shortly after midnight.

Saturday 24th July

Up 05:30. Equipment resorted from last night and to Heacham 'far north' by 07:00. Three small mesh half nets set. Once finished, and after an unexpected delay, the tide was nearing nets and a rapid deployment of observers and twinklers was implemented. Birds played ball and soon a few Ringed Plover were in front of net 1. A further twinkle got Sanderling with them so net was fired.

All processed on the beach, a trench having to be built to protect the keeping cage from the top of tide. Having had one passer-by objecting to what we were doing prior to catching, it was pleasant to get the opportunity of lots of positive PR with passing grockles, all of whom were interested in what we were doing. Near collision between cyclist and jogger who were more interested in watching what we were doing than where they were going.

Meanwhile JG did recce at Holbeach. Three fields found with Oystercatchers. The best, in Holbeach(W), was a harvested pea, the other two plough. No farmers could be found for permission. With rain forecast considered options. Decided there was nothing feasible for this evening as saltmarsh had been used several times and the tide was towards darkness. Hoped to get permission for one field later and set in the morning. NC and JG off to look at causeway and visit Holbeach to check position for nets. It was early evening by the time permission was obtained for the second best option of the three fields. It had been raining for some time by early bedtime

Monday 25th July

Up at 05:45 to find it still raining hard. Checked the weather prediction on the internet and with it looking like continuing for some time and with the prospect of the plough field being too muddy to catch on went back to bed. When discounting the Holbeach option the thought of using the Terrington causeway was considered although no recce had been done. This would have entailed getting up at 07:45 but when it was still raining hard then, this idea was also abandoned. Team surfaced shortly after 08:00 for a leisurely breakfast. The Lincs team who had rung up earlier for a weather forecast update, had only drizzle and after making a catch asked if anyone wanted to join them. NC, HM and HH went round leaving the rest to do various jobs.

The rain stopped shortly after mid-day but the strength of the wind gave some concern for mist netting. In the event it abated just in time. Both teams were together for food at 18:00 and then nets set on three pools on the Terrington saltmarsh, PI misinterpreting NC's intentions and setting on an outer rather than inner saltmarsh pool.

The closeness of high tide to sun set was always going to be a problem so tape lures were only put out about an hour before high tide. PI's outer set of nets got about a foot of water under them by high tide. The best catch was in the 'E' set of nets to the right of the white barn.

With a late tide, it was after 1 a.m. by the time the team was back at base. During conversation over a beer before bed, SJD broached the subject of trying to make a catch on Tuesday morning if enough were prepared to stay on. A show of hands indicated this was viable.

Tuesday 26th July

Up 07:15, equipment from last night and that needed for the cannon netting attempt quickly sorted. A setting team went to put down the two small mesh nets on the mist netting pool, leaving others who would join them later and those departing before the catch to finish tidying up. PI, who was last to leave the base for the catch, arrived just in time to hear the countdown over the radio. It seemed the birds present had reacted well to the decoys and after some flying round had come safely in to the area.

A random sample of 100, plus the retraps, were processed allowing a mid-day finish. Food at base; managed to finish off a lot of the left over perishables before departure early afternoon.