Wash Wader Ringing Group

Friday 16th September

No morning recce due to time and height of tide. PLI arrived early afternoon and soon went for a walk on the saltmarsh to check options for the morning. Despite heavy rain Thursday evening, the pools were dry, there being no high tides to flood them since the last spring tide series. Opted to set on the strimmed area to the west of the Terrington white barn. Food for early arrivers at about high tide and then out to set at last light. Two small mesh half nets set to allow observation from a Fensman hide set close as tide close to sunrise.

Back to base where rest of team had arrived.

Saturday 17th September

Up 04:30. Wind had gone round to westerly so the plastic decoys set the previous evening were pointing the correct way. Into position an hour before high tide, with PLI in Fensman hide and team under camouflage close behind. Initially quite a sound of waders but these disappeared before light enough to see anything. As it got light enough to see, very quiet. JAC arrived and confirmed from sea wall that few waders were visible. This continued until high tide with occasional flocks of geese moving about.

About 20 minutes after tide, geese and Shelduck towards Ongar Hill moved and about 1500 waders appeared. The waders flew west and part of the flock saw the catching area. These reacted to the decoys and started landing in the catching area. No gap in arrivals, nor time to check safety area before they lifted off again and joined the rest of the flock in flying west. Inspecting the catching area through binoculars revealed that some Dunlin had remained and there was a Turnstone in the safety area. Checked with JAC that any movement on the saltmarsh had stopped and once the Turnstone had cleared the safety area, fired.

Birds and most equipment taken off the saltmarsh but nets furled back for possible use on the evening tide.

Meanwhile JG and GA had done a recce of Snettisham North. About 2000 waders in total, of which 1500 were Dunlin. The two of them then went to Snettisham Pits to look for colour ringed Black-tailed Godwit, prior to returning to the beach to mark a catching site for the morning. Reporting the recce, the idea of trying to catch at Snettisham rather than on the saltmarsh in the evening was raised. A lot of deliberation and looking into the logistics of the alternatives went on before the decision was taken to stick with previous plans and return to the saltmarsh.

This decision gave a more relaxed time scale although it was expected to leave rather little time for sleep if an evening catch was made. The first job was to change the wheel on the small trailer as returning to base the tyre had gone flat and been damaged. Two further nets were added to those already set on the saltmarsh and then the opportunity was taken for rest.

Evening meal, prepared by MW and DW was eaten at 16:00 followed by a return to the saltmarsh to complete the parts of the set vulnerable to cow damage (fortunately the cows stayed well away). Slightly late into position. JAC and DW in the hide on the sea wall with rest of the team under camouflage close to the net. The team were kept well informed on the movements of waders on the tide edge and, whilst there were far more about than in the morning, none chose to visit the catching area. Tide cut compared with the morning and for the last half hour to high tide nothing much moved. With this equipment to pick up before going to Snettisham to set and with some members of the base team wishing to respond to a call of nature, the hide came under some pressure to give up. This they did quarter hour after high tide.

With a small team, several journeys were necessary to get the equipment back to the sea wall. Leaving Terrington it was noted that the trailer tyre was flat (same trailer, same wheel, different tyre). Fortunately this responded to a foot pump. Called in at base for a quick drink and a change of trailer - to the one loaded during the afternoon with the equipment for Snettisham.

Found the area marked by JG and GA earlier and were checking its position in relation to tonight's high tide when a bulldozer appeared from the Heacham direction and trundled past us. It was known that beach recharge work was in progress and enquiries had indicated work would not start in the morning until 10:00 but what they had failed to tell us was they were working overnight during the low tide period. The decision was taken that it was not safe to leave equipment set overnight on the beach, a decision reinforced when two giant lorries laden with gravel raced past. Hence, without doing anything returned to base.

Sunday 18th September

Up 04:30. Since the plans to set the previous evening had been thwarted, the plan was to quickly set two half nets and hope the birds would still appear. On arrival, the tide was already well in and the two nets set at approximately the height determined yesterday. Close fresh wheel tracks vindicated our decision not to set the previous evening.

During the latter stages of setting a flock of several hundred dunlin had assembled less than 100 metres from us. Once the team had left the beach PLI and JAC went to observe from either end. Already by this time the tide had reached the eight yard marks and was leaving a ridge at the point with water getting into the nets closer. JAC managed to move the Dunlin and they some soon landed in to one of the nets. Base reported they had no circuit in this net but this became academic as, before anything could have been done about firing, many more birds landed, both giving too many for a rising tide catch and several too close to the net. Briefly considered what might be catchable in the other net but with tide still coming in quickly this was not an option.

Decided to move the nets back as far as possible, i.e. back to where the marram grass started, and put out decoys. Although there were some birds moving about very few decided they liked the look of the beach, choosing to continue to the area of beach newly built up as part of the recharge scheme. Apart from at the very top of tide, the shingle ridge caused a problem, being attractive to what birds there were. Despite the lack of birds tried moving the net down to the tide edge as the tide ran off but no luck.

Gave up and returned to base for breakfast. The usual put away jobs and some extra gardening and cleaning done before departure.