Wash Wader Ringing Group

Advance recce

Heacham Far North – arrived at 06:48. Visibility already good, would be OK to fire within 15 minutes. Strong South-Westerly. Small flock of 60-70 Sanderling, 22 Turnstone, 3 Grey Plover and 5 Oystercatchers roosting about 1/3 way along beach.
Heacham North – no birds on beach.
Heacham South –arrived 07:15. c 100 – 150 curlew, a few bar-tailed godwits and a few oystercatchers were scattered along the tide edge all the way from the access ramp. All these flew to grass fields further back on Ken Hill. Near tump, 500+ oystercatchers in two distinct flocks. Significant numbers of grey waders on the tideward edge of the northern oystercatcher flock, which on closer inspection proved to be about 5,000 knot. A few birds on Heacham Dam. Small flocks of mixed Dunlin, Turnstone, Sanderling, Oystercatcher, Bar-tailed godwit, Grey Plover and Redshank were scattered all along Heacham South beach. At 07.20 a huge flock of 10,000+ knot flew off from the Snettisham North Beach area and eventually headed north.
Snettisham North – arrived 08:00. 500+ Dunlin roosting on ridges just offshore to the south of the access ramp. A further c500 flew past, heading north. 30 Sanderling and a few Grey Plover were roosting just by the southern end of the dam where beach erosion has formed a small bay. Viewed back up to Heacham South at 08:20 by which time there was no beach remaining. The oystercatcher flock had vanished, no idea where to but about 500 grey waders were still trying to cling to the beach just north of the tump.

Friday 17th October

Team arrived during the course of the afternoon / evening and most tucked into a great supper provided by M&DW before heading out to set nets on Snettisham Beach in the hope that the grey wader flock would use this beach at first light tomorrow.  5 small mesh nets were set, 3 on the shingle ridge and a further two at the back of the beach in expectation that the tide might make and flood out the channel behind the ridge.  Efficient set, back to base for a quick briefing before bed.

Saturday 18th October

Up at 05:30.  At the firing position by 06:45.  Not quite light enough to fire, struggling for a few minutes to find the markers, but light enough to see that there were birds on the beach – a big number of oystercatchers.  This information relayed to basecamp and met with a groan as it dawned on people that we were on for an oystercatcher catch, not the “promised” knot!  As light got better, it became clear that there were c500 oystercatchers and about 100 sanderling on the beach, mostly in front of the line of three nets.  Numbers of grey waders grew a little and things were looking very promising with the first birds up at about 16 yards.  It was just a matter of needing a little more water.  A dog on the beach amongst the green marsh disturbed all the birds, most of which headed off but about 50 oystercatchers returned to the beach.  Numbers built slowly and steadily as tide pushed the birds higher up the beach.  A few bar-tailed godwits landed in on the tide edge with the oystercatchers and a small flock of dunlin landed beyond the nets.  The huge smoke of knot, seen on yesterday’s reccee were now visible above the Snettisham Pits before they headed purposefully north high, fast and way offshore, past Snettisham beach.  Clearly we weren’t going to gain the large numbers of knot so we waited until tide was around the 8 yard markers before deciding to fire the two nets where the bulk of the flock were, making a reasonable catch.

Team quickly to the nets to lift.  Ushering oystercatchers away from the tide edge up the beach for a lift as we would do with smaller birds, doesn’t work, partly because they get their beaks caught and partly because oystercatchers have this drive to head towards the water.  More useful learning on how to use these small mesh nets for different species. 

All birds were extracted into cages.  All kit picked up before being flooded out.  Ringing and processing took place at the top of the beach, the catch providing ringing ticks for many of the team.

Meanwhile, having established that no birds had come on Heacham South this morning, NAC headed around to Terrington Marsh to do a reccee in the hope of finding a catch option for Sunday morning.  NAC arrived on the marsh after high tide but found several thousand dunlin on one of the pools.  These birds stayed there for a long time after tide, just switching areas on the pool occasionally.  Suitable areas marked before leaving the marsh.

Waiting to fire, basecamp had had plenty of time to really enjoy the visible migration with flocks of fieldfares estimated at 3000 in total in the hour before firing.  Plus significant numbers of redwings, finches, meadow pipits, and woodpigeons moving past through the coastal park.  A few snow buntings and a flock of 6 whooper swans flew past during processing.

After breakfast, kit was sorted out for mist netting that night and cannon netting the following morning (the plan for that, because there were still cattle on the marsh was to set in the morning). Once the trailer was loaded, an opportunity for a short rest for many people was followed by a brief slide show from Papua New Guinea before heading out to set mist nets.

The team split into two to set on the usual E pool and the pools directly out from the white barn. Nets set in the usual configurations, a smooth and efficient set slightly hampered by a corner pole breaking on the E pool – how many A permit holders does it take to work out how on earth to get the pole down and replaced?! All the team were off the marsh before dusk.  Two people stayed out to start setting up basecamp and keep an eye on the nets whilst the rest of the team headed back to the Base to enjoy yet another fine supper from M&DW.

Teams arrived at about 19:15 to relieve the net-watchers and to go out and set tape lures Back at Base, the rest of the team left to head for the marsh just before a call came through to find out where people were. The E pool had begun to catch well with c30 birds already. Conditions were favourable for us, the moon didn’t appear from behind the clouds until about high tide and the breeze felt during setting dropped off at dusk. Catching continued until high tide, people were sent off both net lines with the birds whilst the rest of the team took down. A ringing and processing team were quickly set up with a second processing team once everyone was off the marsh.  All birds ringed, more ringing ticks for many of the team, and processed efficiently. The Jack Snipe is the first to be ringed using the Group’s rings although the species may have been ringed by the Group at Wisbech Sewage Farm in the 1960’s or 1970’s. Packed up and back to the Base just after midnight.

Sunday 19th October

Up at 06.15. Onto the marsh at first light, problem Number 1 became obvious immediately. We’d managed to forget to pack cartridges the afternoon before. Quickly back to base to collect those whilst everyone else headed out on the marsh and set two small mesh nets, one either side of the pool. Part of the team strimmed and collected some saltmarsh vegetation for grotting the nets. Set almost completed by the time the cartridges arrived. Nets tested whilst the first few redshank flitted around the marsh.

Basecamp under tarpaulins and hide parties on the seawall, in two different vehicles, just 10 minutes after the planned time. Snoring commenced on the saltmarsh shortly after!

A small number of birds arrived on the pool. As the tide rose, numbers increased to c300 initially with c100 in one catching area. Still about 5000 on the tide edge. At one point the flock lifted off the tide edge and came half way across the marsh towards the pool but turned away just before arriving. Birds came and went but never more than 100 in the catching area. Half an hour before tide, decided to take what we had expecting that if the net went out perfectly we might catch 100 but expected that most birds were to the seaward edge. Fired and caught 62 but as expected, lots flew out of the side.

All birds taken back to the cages at the base of the seawall and ringed and processed. Whilst only a small catch, it provided a great opportunity to do some training so a second processing team was set up. Back at Base we made the most of the drying weather to get all kit cleaned and dry before putting away. T&KT arrived to introduce ST, the newest (?youngest ever?) WWRG recruit. TT quickly assumed his rightful place firstly at the washing up bowl and then later helping furl nets whilst K&ST provided a welcome opportunity for many of the team to sit and chat for a few minutes!