Category: Fieldwork reports

Mist nets at sunset, by Katharine Bowgen

Fieldwork September 2020 – Lincolnshire

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There was a maximum of six people in each team at any one time and Covid-19 secure practices worked out for the August trip (see Fieldwork August 2020), and refined for the September trip, were followed at all times.

Saturday 19 September

With half of the Lincolnshire team turning up on Friday night, Saturday morning had been planned as a morning of recces. The plan was to be out 30–40 min before tide, since it was felt unlikely birds would look at fields before then. However, with strong NE wind and wave action, most of the saltmarsh was already under, making it more difficult to follow flocks as they left the marsh.

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Birds seen during the recce at the Horseshoe, by Lizzie Grayshon

Fieldwork August 2020

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Background

The Covid-19 pandemic has had and continues to have a significant impact on all our lives. It has affected our health and limited our ability to see friends and family, travel and conduct work as normal. We hope that all WWRG members have remained well over the last six months and stay healthy.

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Resighting birds at Snettisham, by Sara Miller

Fieldwork March 2020

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Once everyone had assembled on Friday evening (and after a delicious dinner – thanks Ron!), Gary and Lou led the Wash Wader weekend and gave the briefing, making sure to ask everyone to wash their hands regularly with the growing Covid-19 situation. They explained that the aim would be to cannon net a small number of Turnstone on Heacham North North which had been seen during the recce that they had done with Cathy that morning. They’d also seen large flocks of Oystercatchers however as they have been targeted previously, it was decided that the priority would be to colour ring Turnstone. The trailer was packed the night before and the team set their alarms for 04:15.

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Practice tag attachment on an Oystercatcher, by Chantal Macleod-Nolan

Fieldwork February 2020

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Weather forecast:

Storm Dennis!
Saturday – strong winds with showers
Sunday – strong winds with rain

Recce and plan for the weekend

The plan for the weekend was for a cannon-net catch on either Saturday or Sunday morning depending on the findings of the recce team on Friday morning. One of the aims for the weekend was a trial for catching waders on a non-spring tide – the tide heights were considerably lower than those for a normal catching weekend. Mist netting was not an option for the weekend due to the tide heights.

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Roosting Oystercatchers, by Alex Dodds

Fieldwork January 2020

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Weather forecast

Saturday – strong winds
Sunday – less wind with rain

Recce and plan for the weekend

The original plan for the weekend, based on the timings for high tide and sunrise, was resighting on Saturday morning, mist netting on Saturday evening and a cannon net attempt on Sunday morning. However, the weather forecast soon made it clear that mist netting was not going to be an option for Saturday evening so a second plan was made which included a cannon net attempt on the rising tide on Saturday afternoon.

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