Wash Wader Ringing Group

Friday 20th February

PLI recced on the morning tide with CK looking at Heacham Far North:-

Once the tide had receded several giant earth moving machines appeared and trundled along the beach to Sailing Club Bay. They then began a shuttle service transporting gravel from there back to Heacham South.

During the afternoon PLI walked out to the inner bund. No evidence of waders roosting but lots of gull droppings. Rest of afternoon spent loading trailer ready for setting.

Once several of team had assembled, departed to set four nets on Heacham South. Efficient set and back to base with briefing and bed about midnight.

Saturday 21st February

Up 05:15. Frost to be scraped off car windows. Reasonably calm. PLI and MP crawled in to hide hidden in dunes. Only ¾ hour to high tide and water well down from nets. 70 Oystercatchers in front of net three with further flocks of 40 and 100 towards Heacham. Also ca.70 Barwit and other grey waders with the middle flock. When it became obvious that the tide would get nowhere close enough to get birds in the set nets, a small team from base was sent to move one net. This was set low enough on the beach to cover a shingle ridge and decoys were set on this. During the reset many birds had only moved to join the furthest away flock and LW, the long-stop at that end, was asked to twinkle as soon as the setting team had left the beach. This lost Oystercatchers south but many of the Godwit decided to land on the shingle ridge seaward of the decoys. The flock was at the edge of the expected catching range of the net but with no obvious way to improve the situation, and with a grockle and dog approaching behind LW, it was decided to fire. This caught just over half the birds present in front of the net

After dealing with the catch, back to base for breakfast. The only additional recce information was
Snettisham North:- ca.300 Oystercatchers in a tight flock. At high tide also 30 Bar-tailed Godwit.

With concerns over what the wind would do, the internet was consulted for an up to date forecast. This revealed that the wind was marginal for mist netting. After some discussion it was decided that the best option was to use the rising tide site at Heacham South in the evening and then move to Snettisham North for the morning, rather than risk it being too windy to mist net.

Many team members took the opportunity to catch up on sleep before departure to set at 14:00. Four nets set on Heacham with a long additional grot line to make it look natural. Finished setting just over three hours before tide. After briefing the team, JG was sent to long stop at the Heacham end of the beach whilst PLI, PS and SD went in the other direction to observe and long stop. Even before the mud had covered a few Oystercatchers joined the decoys.

As the tide reached the bottom of the beach, the flock built to about 200 Oystercatchers and 50 or so Godwit, the latter being mainly in front of a different net. One thing you do not expect the long stop to have to deal with in February is a swimmer! However, one of the local youth decided this was just the time for a quick dip but fortunately his antics did not disturb things although SD did say she felt like a voyeur as he changed out of his wet shorts in the field of view of her telescope watching the nets.

Entertainment over, the flock of birds was being gradually pushed up by the tide. PLI and SD agreed all that was needed was a further surge up the beach to make firing worthwhile and when this happened the command to fire was immediately given. The birds caught were in a very compact flock and the weight of birds made lifting difficult. However this was accomplished and the birds extracted from the net. The three unfired nets had to be rescued from the incoming tide, being unceremoniously dragged up the beach.

All birds were taken to a point near the tump where a sheltered place was available for processing

With the generator providing power for the lights and with chairs for the processing team, ringing and processing took place in relative (cold) comfort. Having dealt with the birds the equipment which had been dragged up the beach had to be retrieved; it had only just been moved far enough, the tide coming to within a foot.

The original plan had been to get a fish and chip meal before resetting the nets on Snettisham north for the morning. This had been on the basis of a smaller catch being made so, once the size of this catch had been ascertained, it was decided that it was better to fully process all the birds caught and not attempt to catch again in the morning. Quite apart from the logistics of fitting everything in, including sorting out the nets, there was a reasonable prospect that several of the Oystercatchers caught would be in the Snettisham flock too.

Hence food was obtained on the way back to base (Chinese with a swift visit to the pub adjacent to the take-away whilst it was being cooked for many) and bed about midnight.

Sunday 22nd February

Although catching was not attempted SD, LW, RW and MP got up about 07:00 and went to Port Sutton Bridge (PSB) to make Turnstone colour ring observations. On return to base, their observations were input and emailed to JS who reports that, having eliminated duplicate observations, there were 58 individually colour marked birds from the minimum of 130 turnstone present. Of the colour marked birds, 30 had been seen this winter, 20 were colour-ringed at Christmas, 7 had not been seen yet this winter and 1 bird was initially ringed on 22nd Jan 2000 at PSB, retrapped and colour-ringed at PSB in Feb 2000 and this observation is the first time it has been seen since then.

The rest of the team surfaced from 07:30 onwards and set about getting the equipment dry and sorted out. Brunch late morning with all departed by early afternoon.