Having dealt with these, cannon nets needed setting for the morning, relative tide heights having prevented this being done earlier. Phil and Nigel left the rest of the team to clear the Terrington (E) area and, having picked up the cannon net setting trailer, went to a fish and chip shop in King's Lynn to order food for the team. Here the rest of the team arrived just as the fish and chips were being served up.

On Snettisham, with no recce information, the plan was to set by the wooden stake where the main concentration of birds had been the previous month. Whilst marking where to set it was reassuring to find droppings from what had obviously been a substantial flock. Four nets set reasonably efficiently but it was still well after midnight when all had returned to base. Despite a 05:15 get up time, sat around with tea, coffee and / or Port for a brief period before bed.

Sunday 2nd

Up 05:15. Frost overnight after thaw during the day made roads slippery. Arrived at Snettisham and in place about 06:45. The hide had been set at the northern end of the set, on top of the seawall just south of the new concrete section and this meant that Nigel and Adam who manned it could crawl in without showing themselves to the beach. Base soon had a report of an 'oil slick' - the flock of Oystercatchers - on the beach in front of the nets with some concern that the tide was low compared to the nets. As it became lighter and the nets were positively identified this was confirmed but there were birds catchable. The flock was approximately 3000 birds; spread in front of all four nets and a hundred yards either side of them. There were no birds within 6 yards of the nets and none of the eight yard markers were visible. However as it became lighter the two maximum extent markers (at either end of the net line) became visible, about one yard into the surf. Nigel was concerned that the force 4 wind along the beach might mean that a lot would beat the net out especially as the nets were set with only 2.5 metre jump ropes. With tide now at its maximum and the net not going to go into the sea far, two nets were fired on the south end of the line where the flock was densest. During the small amount of lifting to get the edge of the net out of the water quite a lot of birds escaped but nevertheless, the catch was

With a cold breeze on shore, keeping cages were set behind the sea wall. This is the first catch over 500 by the Group since 1996! Encouragingly, after food shortage problems the Oystercatchers had in the Wash some years ago, the birds were in very good condition with satisfactory winter weights. Of the 84 birds with rings, there was a good spread of ages with the oldest being first ringed in 1976. Although there were no foreign ringed birds, one of those caught wearing a WWRG ring, put on in 1980, had been previously recorded breeding in the Faeroes in 1988.

Catch dealt with by just after 11:00. Back to base for breakfast and to sort out the equipment. Departure mid-afternoon by which time a lot of the snow had gone and wind strength was increasing.