Wild Ken Hill Fresh Marsh - 16th December 2021

 As soon as the opportunity arose (a forecast for sufficiently low wind) and we were back at Ken Hill trying to mark more birds for the Water Pipit project. The site was considerably wetter than last time, but we were still able to find two suitable areas for combinations of two panel nets. We only caught one bird but it was the target species, bringing the total number of marked birds here to three.

Adult Water Pipit

We were on site to meet LP shortly after 7am. There are some distinct benefits to getting out on the fresh marsh early on a winter's morning.

Pink-footed Geese leaving their roost

Misty morning on the marsh

There were at least up to nine Water Pipits present, with regular pass overs by a pair of Marsh Harriers, which at one stage did some displaying to each other, couple of Ravens over croaking and a day time flying Barn Owl.

Total: 1

Water Pipit - 1

Wild Ken Hill Fresh Marsh - 24th November 2021

 Having had news of 3 Water Pipits on the fresh marsh, Chris and I decided to give it a go in advance of the cold and windy weather due to affect us by the weekend. This was a first attempt at this location and there were cows still there grazing so we were very happy when they decided to move out of the area where we wanted to set nets, knowing how curious cows can be. Along with a combination of three double panels, we also put a double full height net between a ditch and small reedbed with a single, close to our base where a ditch passes under the track. 

It turned out to be a small but rather varied catch. Two Water Pipits trapped and colour marked from 6 present, was more than we could have hoped for. Added to that , there was also a Kestrel from the two panel net, a Cetti's Warbler from the single, a hand captured Mute Swan (also colour ringed) and a solitary Lesser Redpoll.

Water Pipit adult

Juvenile Water Pipit

Adult Kestrel female

Total: 10

Mute Swan - 1 
Kestrel - 1
Water Pipit - 2
Wren - 2
Robin - 1
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Blue Tit - 1
Lesser Redpoll - 1

Staines Moor - 3rd March 2021

Our first outing of the year here with a forecast of beautifully low wind. We know not to expect too much from this high effort, low yield site. We have to carry all equipment on to the moor and after flooding it is often very difficult going under foot. For all this effort there is little to disguise or shelter nets and catching is not easy.

On arrival today we could see that the Stonechats had moved off. There were however a few Meadow Pipits and at least 6 Water Pipits. We were using three panel nets and put up two doubles and a single. Chris went off to check for swans and I gave it 20 minutes then walked the site in the hope of flushing a pipit into a net. This is necessary as the birds are clearly aware of the nets and rarely fly into them without help. I was pleased to flush a bird into one of the doubles, surprised that it stayed there until I could get there to extract it and doubly surprised to see that it was a Water Pipit.

The swans were nowhere to be seen.

A couple of Meadow Pipits provided an added bonus as the morning progressed although a flock of some 30 Pied Wagtails deftly evaded the nets. The addition of the Wagtails foraging around the flash seemed to affect the usually extremely cautious behaviour of two of the pipits and although the chasing birds both hit the single, only one was caught and another Water Pipit was marked under the scheme.

Total: 4

Meadow Pipit - 2

Water Pipit - 2

Stanwell Moor GP - 11th & 12th January 2018

Over the past couple of years there has been a Barn Owl seen over Stanwell Moor and we had arranged for PW, not only a well respected 'owl man' but also an old friend of Chris' from his DEFRA days, to bring and site a couple of boxes for us. Chris and I arrived earlier and we worked a few nets. Then they went off to put up the boxes while I took down and packed away.

Inspite of all  the trees lining the south field, it was difficult to find a suitable tree and only one box could be put up. We may put the second up close to the Colne where a telegraph pole has stood unused for a number of years. One good thing was that PW was impressed by all the evidence of field voles in the water meadow, so different to the farmland where he usually works.

Totals: 14 (8)

Dunnock - 3 (2)
Chiffchaff - 2
Goldcrest - 0 (3)
Long-tailed Tit - 8 (1)
Great Tit - 1 (2)

After noticing a good number of Water Pipits on the wet meadows we returned the following day to see if there would be a better chance of catching there rather than on Staines Moor where we've tried on four separate ocassions, this winter, with no positive result.

We set a double, two panel, of 12m nets, a double 18m configuration and a 3 panel, 12m. There was also a single net at the end of the track to the south fields.

It was a very slow start with no birds in the first couple of hours, then we found several Reed Buntings along the Colne as we walked back from the Staines Moor end of the fied. There were also a couple of Stonechats and a Dartford Warbler moving through the weedy vegetation around the pool. At first we thought we had caught one of the Stanechats, but it was actually a Dunnock. A short time later we got another Dunnock in the track net.

There were a total of nine Water Pipits and the birds moved together as a loose flock, apparently very net aware. It began to rain lightly at around mid-day and while Chris went to see what was on the lake, I went to take the track net down, seeing a ringed Chiffchaff go into the net as I walked along the path. This bird turned out to be JDR838, a control.

Chris went to check the nets around the pool prior to processing the Chiffchaff and returned, finally, with one of the Water Pipit. This bird was also colour ringed as part of the project that we began in 2017, after catching two birds in 2016, although none were captured in the following year.

Finally we are able to fit our first colour ring on a Water Pipit.

Water Pipit age 5

The Water Pipits remained in the area but no more could be captured.

Controlled Chiffchaff JDR838 aged 4

Total: 4

Water Pipit - 1
Dunnock - 2
Chiffchaff - 0 (1 control)