Following a walk on the moor on Christmas eve, to walk a dog that actually is in this case just for Christmas as it will be returning to its own home in the new year, we returned (minus dog) to try for one of the 12 Water Pipits that we had seen while hoping to see one of the colour ringed birds that we'd done at the start of the year. We only managed three then, but they are the only UK colour ringed Water Pipits, so despite the low success rate we've had, worth trying to get more observations and individuals marked for the project.
We erected a total of four two panel nets in a flooded area, where dog walkers are currently avoiding walking their animals, and used audio lures. The birds were not especially responsive and there appeared to be fewer than a couple of days before.
3A, age 3 Water Pipit
It was looking as though the session was another failure when a Meadow Pipit was captured, and while we had that bird in the hand, a Water Pipit flew into the net closest to where we had based. 3A, a first year bird, became the fourth bird captured and marked with a colour ring this year.
Age 3 Meadow Pipit
Total: 2
Meadow Pipit - 1
Water Pipit - 1
