Tag: Wash Wader Research Group

Fieldwork early February 2026

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6 February 2026

The team assembled on Friday evening. There was no option for cannon netting this weekend, but a suitable Saturday night tide for mist netting. The tides suitable for cannon netting in the second half of winter are not as conducive to mist netting, so running an extra couple of sessions at this time of year was deemed worthwhile to improve the sampling of waders via mist netting. Additional valuable winter sightings of colour-marked waders were also sought after this weekend.

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Fieldwork January 2026

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Friday 23 January

Nigel and Cathy did the morning’s recce at Sailing Club Bay and were met by large numbers of birds (inc. Oystercatcher, Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-tailed Godwit and Knot). The tide, however, didn’t prove high enough to cover the mud and move the birds into a catchable position, and since no other opportunities were identified, the decision was taken to dedicate Saturday morning’s high tide to resighting and recceing with the full team. Following everyone’s arrival in the evening (Claudia having been delayed by a flamingo), a jacket potato dinner was served, and plans were made for the morning.

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Fieldwork December 2025

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Friday 5 December

Before the majority of the group arrived for the weekend, recces were carried out on Friday morning. Cathy visited Snettisham beach arriving at 06:30 hrs in full moonlight. Snettisham Beach held no waders and Heacham just two Oystercatchers. The spit at the Sailing Club Bay was next to view where three Bar-tailed Godwit were resighted among a huge flock of mixed waders. Nigel then joined on video call to view the beach and assessed that, with no feathers or poo found, the Oystercatchers had not roosted there over high tide.

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Fieldwork November 2025

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Friday 7 November

An early recce on the morning tide on Friday (Cathy, Lys and Hilary) produced a group of c. 200 Curlew and some Sanderling on Heacham Beach. Cathy then had a very successful resighting session at Heacham, while Lys and Hilary recced elsewhere. Jacquie and Nigel went to recce Heacham Beach for net placement on the tide line for an attempted Curlew catch on Saturday morning. Hilary had also visited Frampton Marsh the previous day, reporting it to be very dry with almost no waders seen. Meanwhile, Cathy resighted two Bar-tailed Godwit and one headstarted Curlew at Snettisham.

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A group of Sanderling flying away after being released.

Fieldwork October 2025

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Wednesday 8 – Friday 10 October

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday morning saw Cathy, Carole and Bernard resighting incredible numbers of Knot at Snettisham Pits. Numbers of 30,000 individuals were reported on Thursday and, over the course of the three days, 112 colour-marked Knot were seen.

On Friday evening, a small team of only seven arrived at the base house, including Rob, Cathy, Claudia, Hilary, Tanya, Jake and Ingrid. Cathy had a dinner of baked potatoes ready and waiting, and a plan was put in place for the weekend that took into account the unusually small team and the experience level of the group. No catches were planned for Friday night or Saturday morning so a reasonable night’s sleep was in order.

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