Wash Wader Ringing Group

Thursday 27th September

Morning recce by SGD and RCT. Sea wall south of southern pumping station: 5-6 groups of redshank, total of 200 birds. Disced stubble: 30 curlew 40-50 grey plover on field behind seawall where golden plover were caught last summer.
South of northern pumping station near usual traditional first tide set; 2 groups of redshank (total about 50)
North of northern pumping station; 180 redshank on point at route to Leverton mistnet site. Godwit field from last trip; 100 curlew Stubble near horse shoe; 300 curlew 2 fields north of Friskney control tower; 300 godwit/curlew.
Wainfleet (S) grass field; now ploughed with 300 curlew on.
Gib point; Large numbers of Knot and Grey Plover

SGD, DGC, RCT set 2 nets on seawall for redshank and one in field for grey plover. Rest of team arrived during evening.

Friday 28th September

Up 0445 Set decoys and in position at 0615. Field set - problems with markers twisting in wind made life difficult – c. 25 grey plover and curlew in catching area. Most Grey Plover on next hummock on field. Gulls arrived and sat in safety. More gulls arrived and many sat in safety. Everything left when sea wall set twinklers approached. RdF dispatched to recce when field no longer had birds. Sea wall set - Redshank twinkled well c150 towards net. Few landed in catching area. Twinkling proceeded. Tide reached sea wall and decision to take a falling tide catch was taken. On falling tide redshank reluctant to move to catching area, not helped by 3 decoys emerging from the sea. Fired on small group of 25 near corner of net.

Recce 2 fields north of southern tower; 200 curlew. 2 fields south of northern tower; 300 curlew, 100 godwit
Southern godwit field (Butterwick); 300 curlew, 50 on Neighbouring field
Sea wall near godwit field; 100+ redshank
Horseshoe area; 2-3000 barwit over field - suspect one RdF recced after tide but failed to find birds.

Back to hall for breakfast at 1030. Off to set at horseshoe at 11. Arrived, hunted for site and decided to wait for rain to ease. Returned to base hoping to wait whilst rain passed through. Forecasts made it obvious that it would not clear. Set off again to set at 1300 – stopped shortly afterwards to watch a great grey shrike near Friskney bends. Setting complete by 1500 for Curlew/godwit on stubble field at horse shoe. Line of two nets set.

SGD + RCT cooked spag bol. Team departed to do some recces at 1800, mainly for future saltmarsh sites.

Toft House (SGD); found 1000 godwit on marsh. 150 redshank + grey plover on pool straight out from green houses.
Wainfleet (RCT); few birds seen due to poor visibility. Knot + oyk went north to Gib.
Horseshoe (RdF); - Many birds forming in a group on northern creek sand bank which then moved into horseshoe pools closer to tide (and darkness)

Saturday 29th September

Up 0525. Depart 0600 2 or 3 landed in catching area. Rest of curlew went onto plough joined by godwit. Catching area peaked at 25 curlew. Godwit twinkled between fields however all returned to ploughed field next to stubble field. 60-80 starlings catchable although not taken. Gave up and breakfasted by 1100. Recces Leverton (N) (RdF); 500 Barwit + 250 grey + 100 curlew on pool below the yellow spike between the two posts. Birds arrived at 0655, departed at 0727. Redshank on sea wall in usual first tide area. 1000 grey waders in Godwit field (Leverton (S)) From catching site hide (SGD); 3-400 redshank in a bay on sea wall near horseshoe pumping station. Godwit also an option on ploughed field. During the afternoon, team set two nets on sea wall for redshank near horseshoe pumping station. Electrics left until morning due to likely cow disturbance. Evening mist net at Leverton (N) - tide made, leaving marsh well under water. Team wet!

Bed soon after 2300.

Sunday 30th September

Up 0525. Depart 0600. Set half net on cow causeway and finished electrics on other two nets. Curlew/Redshank gathered on pool area near the horseshoe. One hour before tide the redshank built up around creek below net. As water rose, the birds had a quick fly round and then started walking up the bank into net 2. RCT dispatched to remove wood pigeons to cause redshank to move . Wood pigeons flew off one by one rather than all at once. Mud thrown over wall to move redshank - quick fly round lost half of 3-400 birds. Birds gradually came back in groups of 5 or 10. Some gathered on exposed bit of saltmarsh. As a result the net in the corner was fired. A very nice catch was

Due to good catch and small team no recces were done leaving few options for the following morning. Most promising was the golden plover field where good catch was taken last year. RdF dispatched to check it hadn't been ploughed on a Sunday morning while rest of team packed and cleaned the hall. On arrival at field it was being ploughed - catching ideas abandoned. Marsh on Leverton (N) was selected as the next option which would be set on in morning.

In the evening, mist netted a new site on horseshoe. Windier and brighter than hoped. 8 nets set.

Bed by 11:30

Monday 1st October

Up at sometime (0525 again?). Half net set on marsh at Leverton (N). Speculative pool option, where birds had been seen on an evening tide. However no birds turned up. Evening mist netting cancelled due to wind & dubious conditions forecast. Remaining team departed and equipment taken back to Terrington.