Wash Wader Ringing Group

PLI arrived late afternoon on Thursday and did a recce at Terrington on the evening tide. Dry, but surprisingly windy, with white horses out to sea. About 500 Curlew were roosting on the saltmarsh away from tide edge. Close, but not in, one of the strimmed areas. Decoys could rectify that! About 2000 Dunlin on tide edge and these stayed there until near high tide. The third strimmed area beyond the mist netting ”E” pool had lots of gulls by high tide but also about 150 Dunlin. On the other side of this pool were 100 or so Oystercatchers. The Greenshank borrow pit did have Greenshank, Redshank and Avocet roosting. Before a count could be made these lifted, the 15 Avocet immediately returned but the shank species dispersed. In total there could have been approaching 100 birds.

Friday 14th July

Terrington was reccied from just after half past seven. Mud still exposed at head of bay and substantial numbers of waders building up. As tide moved them, initially all birds except Curlew kept to tide edge. The Curlew started to form flocks on the salting near but further seaward than one of the strimmed patches. As tide came in nothing took any notice of the two strimmed areas to the left of the white barn although a flock of 1000 or so Dunlin and Redshank collected at the seaward end of the creek by the fence. Looked at the pool and third strimmed area to right of the white barn about ¾ hour before high tide. Here a settled flock of ca.1500 Dunlin on the seaward side of the pool, about 10% in front of the wall made to put nets on. On the other side of the pool, 100 Oystercatchers and scattered about a number of Redshank, Shelduck and gulls. At this point something disturbed all but the Oystercatchers and before the birds had resettled the first RAF jet of the day came over. When they did resettle virtually all the dunlin were in front of the ‘wall’ and the flock was seen to also contain Redshank and Greenshank. The presence of the Greenshank was probably because an Environment Agency team was working near the Greenshank borrow pit and consequently there were no birds. The tide probably made about predicted height so by high tide the strimmed area near the fence and the ‘2000 catch’ strimmed area had both got water in them. The third area was not affected by the tide. Heacham was reccied from just before seven. Mud had fully covered. Lots of early dog walkers had already gone along the beach and there were no wader flocks on the beach. Walked towards Snettisham stopping to get a few colour ringed Ringed Plover on route. A “flock” of 8 Sanderling (all unringed) were on the beach just in front of the tump. Viewed Snettisham from the seawall – again no birds but lots of dog walkers. On a grass field just inland of the borrow dyke were 2 large flocks of Curlew (c.250 in each flock) with c70 godwit in with the flock nearest Snettisham. These birds had clearly been on the field from at least 2 hours before tide as none were seen flying in there during the reccee. Continued reccee from inner seawall. No other flocks of birds seen except on the field adjacent to the railway line that was used for a catch during Mini Trip in 2005. In this field (? Set-aside) was a very large flock of gulls with 1000 Oystercatchers and 100 Curlew all of which must have been in this field from at least 2 hours before tide. Checked fields from railway line track but no other flocks of waders found. Having arranged permission with the landowner, PLI and SLD also arranged to travel out to the field through the tracks with him so that he could show us the way.  With the tide so late on Friday evening a cannon net catching attempt was possible and more likely to be successful than Saturday evening. A setting team left base at 18:00 and set two small mesh half nets where the Dunlin had been seen. By 20:00 when the team needed to be in position for catching 13 people were present. The rest of the evening proved uneventful as the combination of low tide and tide nearer dusk meant the birds did not behave as the previous evening and stayed at the tide edge. Although no birds had been seen to arrive, two Dunlin left the catching area as the decoys were collected just before high tide. Brief introduction and planning session at base before bed.

Saturday 15th July

Up 06:45 (except SLD who, unusually for someone doing a recce, had to get up earlier). The same two nets as the previous evening manned from 08:00 and by 09:00 beginning to get worried that no birds had come over the pool. MS did report a build up of birds at the tide edge and before long a flock of 100 Dunlin did a fly past. It had already been agreed that we were looking for a good sized catch so when the next, larger, flock of Dunlin appeared and this time landed in with the decoys there was a brief discussion as to whether it was big enough. The decision was to go for it so the nets were immediately fired. About a hundred birds left due to the gap between the two nets but the rest were caught

With strong sun a shelter was rigged up to cover both keeping cages and team. All birds fully processed. Heacham reccied by SLD from 6.30. Lots of mud exposed and waders distributed all along tide edge feeding. Oystercatchers began to pre-roost on the mudflats and then flew inland to the field they were seen on yesterday at 06.50. The first Curlew flew into the grass field at 07.00 (3 hours before tide) forming up at the Snettisham end on a ridge but more seaward than they’d been yesterday. The flock of Curlew grew to about 30 birds and then something spooked them and the majority left and flew southeast to a field along the railway track. The first godwit came in at 07.15 and landed in with the remaining Curlew. This flock grew steadily but numbers were quite different from yesterday with only c200 Curlew and c120 godwit – each additional godwit flock dropped straight in on the roost whilst the Curlew all flew inland before turning back to join the roost. Very few Curlew came onto the field where the other flock had been yesterday. At least 10,000 calidrids flew straight down to the Snettisham Pits at about 7.30. At 08.00 the first dog walker along the inner seawall spooked the birds which flew southeast to join the Curlew that had headed that way earlier. Shortly after, something spooked all the Oystercatcher roost and these birds headed straight off to Snettisham Pits. After breakfast, PLI, NAC, DSM and SLD drove round to Heacham to walk the field and mark the catching area which proved more straightforward than had been feared. On their return to base, equipment was sorted out for both an evening mist netting attempt and for cannon netting in the morning. With a low tide and high tide fairly close to darkness, the plan was to set a line of 10 full height mist nets on the pools furthest out from the White Barn and then set four single shelf nets on each of two other pools. The line of 10 nets was set before an evening meal at 20:00. Teams then went to set the single shelf nets. With not a cloud in the sky it stayed light very late so that even by high tide, 1¾ hours after sunset there was still light in the sky. The hope had been that with Schinzii dunlin present and the use of tape lures a reasonable catch would be made. In the event, the line of 10 nets caught just 3 birds (tide just went under these nets) and the two lines of single shelves caught 5 and 6 birds, respectively

Nets taken down on the high tide net round. Back to base and in bed by 01:00.

Sunday 16th July

Up 04:30 to set a clap net pair of full nets on the Heacham field and to be off 3½ before high tide. Nets efficiently set so this was achieved early. A difficulty with this field was the proximity of public footpaths and the possibility that walkers would spook the birds. Long stops posted to request people to walk behind the sea wall and the few people encountered willingly cooperated. First few Curlew came in and landed just inland of the catching area. For quite a long time nothing further happened and beginning to get worried when the time, relative to tide, passed when the birds had come to the field yesterday. Eventually a few more Curlew did turn up and some landed in the catching area but the main flocks were flying further inland to the field south of the catching site where they’d been going the previous day. There were then various comings and goings but only small numbers present. The long stop to the south of the field then reported that good numbers of birds were settling in a field some way to the south. PLI sent off in NAC’s car to see if the location of these birds could be established. With some guidance from the long stop, KS, as to where to go the flock was eventually discovered on another large complex of grass fields. Walking on to the field just got the birds to circle round to a further position half a mile or so further south. With no likelihood that these birds would choose to move back north, the people in the hide (SLD, NAC, JG, NS) decided to fire on what they had

The bird already ringed was wearing a Helsinki ring. Although obviously disappointing that the catch had not been bigger, it is rare for the Group to catch Curlew so early in the season and a lot about this new site had been learned; not least that the fields to the south would present the better catching options as they did not have footpaths passing by them and birds on the seaward field are likely to twinkle to the inland fields more willingly than vice versa. Return to base for food and departure mid-day.