Wash Wader Ringing Group

Friday 29th August

DGC arrived at Wainfleet Island for a preliminary recce at 1725. Saw lots of heads (Oyks? Shelduck?) just visible through the vegetation on the southern-most of the Wainfleet north islands. Nothing visible on the main Wainfleet island, and no sign of Knot.  At 1825 made contact with SGD, who had brought equipment and rest of initial team round from our main Base Fish & Chip shop we were planning to use closed at 1600 (!!!), so DGC undertook to seek another in Wainfleet All Saints before returning to our Lincolnshire base to obtain key.  Met up with SC, and the pair of them took Fish & Chips to the Leverton pumping station where rest of team were setting two small-mesh nets in clap-net configuration for speculative catching attempt Saturday morning.  Nets set without significant problem (except for dropper repairs), and markers checked just before light failed.  Back to base and to bed around 2200.

Saturday 30th August

Main team (all except DGC) up 0330 and in position c.0430, SGD and RT in hide, base camp on saltmarsh just beyond the cattle scrape.  As it became light, gained small numbers of Grey Plover in catching area, 5-6 Grey Plover and possibly a few others.  Circa 0550 a raptor (harrier) launched an attack after a sneak approach and 12 Grey Plover left – expletives were uttered! Birds returned to tide edge and showed no significant interest in catching area thereafter. Gave up as tide flooded catching area around 0600, and went to do recces prior to returning to retrieve equipment after tide had receded. Then back to base.

DGC up 0445 to recce at Wainfleet, arriving there c.0535. Still very murky but at 0545 saw very large clouds of Knot arriving, silhouetted against water. “Very large” means X,000, where “X” is a seriously impressive number – more than a month ago, perhaps in the region of 50,000. Most birds initially landed on Wainfleet main island, though some also seen circling over the southern-most north island. Oystercatchers also present on main island. Just after 0600 several thousand Knot moved north to the southern-most north island, perhaps owing to advancing tide crowding them too much on main island.(Subsequent foot recce revealed large numbers of Oyks also used the northern islands.)

By 0620 situation had settled, so DGC then went to check fields and saltmarsh in vicinity of Barley Mow control tower. Many waders seen moving along saltmarsh edge, but nothing significant coming inland. Then drove north along outermost sea wall from control tower to check out a possible mist-netting pool that is evident on the Google Earth images of the area. Found pool, c. 150 m x 75 m, c. 10 cm deep over the areas checked. Only one narrow but deep creek to cross to reach pool. DGC then returned to base to prepare breakfast for returning team. At lunchtime more team members (M and DW, ES and JC) arrived from Terrington. Meal prepared for al fresco consumption on sea wall, and team then departed for Wainfleet, meeting up with 6 ringers from the Gibraltar Point ringing course. After eating meal team picked up all equipment and carried it out to Wainfleet main island. Set three small-mesh nets, two together in centre of main island and a third c. 50 yds further north. Hide (SGD and DW) and base camp at extreme southern end of island, in position 1645. First birds to arrive were 200+ Grey Plover in samphire north of northern net. All Oyks off northern island. Knot started to arrive c. 45 mins before high tide, landing with Grey Plover and spreading up island, beyond net. Scattered Ringed Plover, Sanderling, and Dunlin everywhere. Then big landing right through far net into safety. Also 300 Oyks between net and hide, obscuring view of far net! Considered jiggling far net, but decided too much risk of losing everything. Something caused all birds to lift, ¾ of Knot disappearing north into gloom. Remainder circled and landed in samphire beyond and up into catching area. Worthwhile catch appeared, so after very brief consideration two nets fired, catching:

Net raised to encourage birds to walk away from tide, which still had a short way to rise.  Birds extracted efficiently.  All birds (except Ringed Plover) processed, finishing c.2115. Controls included Stockholm Knot (out of only 5 control Knot) and Danish Sanderling with five colour rings.  Very few Knot age 3.  All equipment (except angle gauge, retrieved the following day) gathered up and team walked back off without major mishap, reaching seawall c. 2200.

Sunday 31st August

Team up 0230, long walk to Wainfleet north islands, with one extra projectile!  Set one narrow full net in same place as the previous month, in position at 0445.  As it got light several thousand Oyks were evident on north end of island, and further to north of it.  However, some difficulty with finding markers in mist.  Approx 0620 large flypast of Knot and Godwit, but Oyks stayed put.  Oyks began to walk up into catching area, but tended to stay down tight on tide edge.  In view of potential safety issues developing at far end of net, decided to fire at 0635, catching:

All birds processed and then equipment carried off, returning to Friskney c. 1130.

M&DW (north of Barley Mow road), and DGC and JC (Horseshoe and south) went to do recces, permitting them to stay in bed till 0445. The fog caused even more problems for them than for the Wainfleet team, and nothing of note was seen before 0815, over an hour after high tide. However DGC and JC did plainly hear a rave (and no they hadn’t been taking any Dutch courage)! Possibly out to sea! [Subsequent recces located a flat-bed truck on a nearby field, surrounded by copious cigarette ends and vast numbers of empty cans…] Even with improving visibility no worthwhile opportunities were found in the several fields examined.

After breakfast and team discussion decided to set two full nets on field by Saul’s south pumping station, for Golden Plover seen there previously by RT. SGD and RT went to assess where to set nets, while M&DW prepared another meal for al fresco consumption, and we awaited arrival of two participants, JJ and PN, from the Gib Pt ringing course.

The team drove to the pumping station site and consumed the meal and then set two nets on the field (of disced brassicas) directly south of the pumping station road, next to a section of brassicas that were being cropped. The hide party were DGC, RT, TW and HH. At most 7 Golden Plover came on the field, although flocks of several hundred flew overhead to a field further inland. We also had a sole Dunlin fly rapidly over the field. Gave up at high tide. Upon being informed that a Lancaster bomber (the only flying example this side of the Atlantic) was visible in the air to the south of the field, DGC declined to attempt to attract it towards the field on the grounds “I don’t have that on my licence”.

During the journey back to the base some of the team were treated to a splendid view of a Barn Owl which flew alongside SGD’s van for several hundred yards.

Monday 1st September

The same hide party manned the Golden Plover nets near Saul’s southern pumping station on Monday morning. The Golden Plover decoys were so convincing that for a while the hide thought they had four live birds just in front of the nets! We also established that the brassica pickers start work really early (0630)! We advised them of our presence, but otherwise had to cope with any disturbance they might cause. Initially a few (real) Golden Plover went behind the nets, possibly sheltering from the wind behind crop picking trucks parked there. Then larger flocks began arriving, totalling several hundred. At one point a potential catch of c.40 birds developed, but with one or two birds ambling around in the safety area. The few birds behind the nets now decided to join those in the catching area, but straggled over one at a time, so that just as a bird left safety another entered it! To compound the problem, a number of gulls decided that a good place to roost was directly on the line of sight from the hide to the safety area, making judgement of the location of birds in safety even more difficult. Eventually, for no particular reason, all the birds lifted. Periodically thereafter the birds moved to the next field inland, as the previous evening, and twinklers were sent to encourage them back to join us. This had mixed success, in part because of ongoing disturbance from regular passages of a tractor towing loads of picked brassicas or more empty crates to be filled with same. On one occasion the pulse rates in the hide quickened when c.120 Golden Plover landed in the catching area, but around 20 were in safety. Again after a short while they flew off again. Eventually at high tide we gave up, and returned to base for breakfast.

After breakfast the team went to a field of young cabbages a little north of The Horseshoe and set two narrow full nets for plovers (Grey and Golden) that had been seen there during the recce. The cabbages were around 9” across, and the net was set directly against one line of them, partly concealed under the cabbage leaves.

Then SGD went to set a small-mesh net on the usual Redshank pool at The Horseshoe. There was some debate on where to set nets – where birds had been seen on the recce, or in the lee of a bank for the forecast wind, but eventually the former option was chosen.

In following SGD to hand over some equipment DGC contrived to thoroughly puncture both tyres on the driver’s side of his car. Subsequent inspection by another team member revealed the cause to be a piece of perforated metal designed to provide better grip on the sea wall, but with a protruding sharp edge. PN took DGC into Skegness Kwik-fit to obtain replacements, while the remainder of the team rested and prepared the evening meal.

After the meal the team took up position at The Horseshoe (SGD and DGC in one vehicle, DW and MW in a second, the remainder of the team under covering material near the net). Some rain prompted a decision to remove a feathered decoy from the catching area, just as birds began to appear. As the forecast wind had indeed arrived, the birds went to lee of bank, outside catching area. Built up to 15 Grey Plover and a few Redshank, but 1 Redshank in safety and 1 Grey Plover. We wished to avoid jiggling, but then a wildfowler (first day of shooting season!)let off a shot. All the birds lifted and flew around, then good landing of Redshank in catching area plus some Grey Plover. Decided to take what we had, fired and caught:

Tuesday 2nd September

Hide parties up 0430, teams 0530. DW to Golden Plover field by Butterwick pumping station. Decided not to set feathered decoys in view of weather. 1000-3000 Golden Plover arrived in inland field. Few birds behind nets. Birds twinkled from far field. Some birds came to our field, behind nets. Some birds walked towards catching area. Then all put up by tractor pulling pallet low-loader. Almost gave up when some birds appeared, but no better luck. Again contemplating whether to abandon when call came reporting the situation on the Plover field near The Horseshoe. Decided to lift the nets (except for the cables) and go to join them.

At that field, upon arrival the hide party had Golden Plover scattered over the field feeding, with many gulls inland of the nets. Gained more Golden Plovers all over field. Flock of 30 landed in catching area, but spooked before Grey Plover arrived. Then more arrived, and built up to 70 Grey Plover and 100+ Golden Plover in front of nets, but several in safety. Tried jiggling, but eventually this caused complete lift of all birds, some landing well beyond nets. The numbers of birds built up to 400-500 Grey Plover on the field, mainly 30m in front of the nets, plus the Golden Plover. Some twinkling from the seaward end of the nets eventually yielded:

DGC was earlier requested to synthesise various sources of weather info into a local forecast, and suggested rain had now passed. In view of subsequent meteorological developments (it rained), his weather forecasting skills were progressively downgraded from “rubbish” through “absolutely abysmally useless” to “a serious liability”.

Returned to base for breakfast then set two nets north of Wainfleet control tower for Curlew/Barwit, prepared equipment, had showers at Wainfleet control tower, then had excellent evening meal. Some members went bird watching/recceing, while others stayed at base and were entertained by a thunderstorm.

Wednesday 3rd September

Went to Curlew/Barwit field. Good numbers of Curlew, but reluctant to go in catching area. Barwits very late coming off saltmarsh. First twinkling attempt (by vehicle coming gently up inner seawall) thwarted by wildfowler’s shot. Barwits went north, after apparently attempting to fly south but encountering difficulty against strong head wind. Eventually some Curlew returned, but too far in front of nets. Foot (ditch) twinkling accompanied by more vehicle twinkling eventually resulted in all birds leaving field. Gave up.

Brunch at roadside café at Wrangle, then went bird watching at Gibraltar Point. Returned to base at 1630. Weather forecast and prevailing weather way too windy for mist netting, so instead went to dyke near The Horseshoe to attempt catching Little Grebes seen there earlier.

 

Used a small-mesh net, but no cannons, which was reset three times!

Net was draped down from a bridge into the water, with bottom edge(rear edge of net) weighted to hold it under the surface. SGD sat on bridge holding rope tied to bottom edge of net, while team members twinkled Grebes along dyke from near the Horseshoe pumping station.

 

When birds went into net SGD quickly raised edge of net to form a pocket, and RT waded into the water to retrieve them. This technique caught five Little Grebes!

 

Then back to base, prepared equipment for morning and had another excellent meal.

Thursday 4th September

SGD and majority of team went to a new site near The Horseshoe, with slightly elevated saltmarsh. Huge quantities of Knot out in bay an hour before high tide. 50 Redshank and 50 Grey Plover went to normal Horseshoe pool, and 1 Grey Plover and 3 Redshank to pool with net at one point. Various flocks of Curlew and Godwit were around and some Godwit settled briefly near the pool. But ultimately no good opportunity for a catch developed.

DGC, DW, MW and JC returned to the Curlew/Godwit set from the previous afternoon, for the possibility that some Curlew (but probably no Godwits) might come over the seawall despite the lower tide that wasn’t expected to cover the saltmarsh. DW and JC in position in the hide by 0745. Almost immediately 2 Curlew came and sat with the decoys. Up to 18 Curlew came in subsequently and sat a little further out from the outer decoys, but after 20-25 minutes flew away for no obvious reason. Subsequently a Grey Plover came and sat with the decoy nearest the nets, and 10 Dunlin in front of net two. The Dunlin flew away after a short time, but 3-4 Curlew landed near the field edge close to the hide. A Curlew landed just behind the nets, then walked over to join the others. Just before high tide the situation was reviewed and discussed with SGD, whereupon the decision was taken to fire net one, catching:

The nets were picked up at both sites and everyone returned to base for breakfast and to clear up. Several team members then left for home at the formal end of the trip, but six of the team stayed on for mist netting Thur pm at a new site at the Horseshoe. A path out to the site avoiding mud churned up by cattle had to be identified, and nets were set in good time. However, some delay in obtaining fish and chips and difficulty in locating the route out to the nets in the dark resulted in the tape lure being started perhaps 15 minutes later than would have been ideal, by which time there were already c.15 birds in the nets, most movement had ceased and the marsh was quiet. The following catch could perhaps have otherwise been roughly doubled:

The retrap Godwit was originally ringed in 1983. After striking the nets the remaining team members travelled round to the main base for sleep and equipment storage before returning home.