Slow start to 2014...

Well, the recent weather in Wales has been typically... Welsh! Wind and rain do not make for good ringing opportunities, so I was determined not to miss the recent SCAN weekend (18/19th January). Recovering from a cold, I wasn't sure whether I'd manage both days, especially as I have to work the Saturday evening, but I needed a fix, so went along.
Saturday we were planning on catching some Dunlin, which had been roosting around the old Dickies Boatyard in Bangor. I helped set this net with some of the team, while the rest set our back up net for ducks at the other end of the harbour. Once set, some of the team dispersed to track down these little grey waders. The local Oystercatchers decided that the Dickies beach was perfect for a snooze, and we ended up with a few hundred on there, which we really didn't want to catch (due to having already caught Oystercatchers on 3 previous sessions this winter). Unfortunately, the Dunlin were absent from all their regular haunts that we were aware of, so we decided to let the Oyks sleep and go after the ducks.

Me with "Shelley"

BANG! We ran down the steep "path" to the beach to discover a catch of Shelduck and Wigeon, enough for one each, which was excellent as the main flock had moved to another area. So I started off my 2014 ringing with a tick - a lovely female Shelduck. Once they were all processed and released we moved onto the smaller Wigeon, and I managed to pull out the only retrap (we had previously caught some at the same site last year on a Redshank catch), a stunning male. While the last few birds were being processed, I double checked the keeping cages to find we'd missed a Shelduck, which was quickly claimed by Richard.

After packing up the kit, I had a boring shift at work, then home for a decent night's sleep - 9am meeting for the next day! I should have known better! With my mum visiting, I was ready to leave at 8.50 (the harbour being less than 5 minutes walk away), but she kept me talking til after 9! Thankfully our team had grown with the arrival of some student from Aberystwyth and most of the work was done. We had the same nets set, with the same plan... and funnily enough, the Dunlin also had the same plan! This time we tracked them down to some islands in the Menai Straits, and with the absence of a boat or RC Bird of Prey, that's where they stayed!
Now, I would have been happy with another duck catch, and that was certainly looking promising until a ball chucker for a dog disturbed the whole flock and they disappeared out of the harbour. While we were waiting on what to do next, a ringed Pied Wagtail was spotted on the prom, which led to those with scopes attempting to read the ring number. We also had company from a resident Rock Pipit. The Oyks had returned to the Dickies site, so we moved positions to concentrate on them, deciding to catch on the falling tide. We had some spectacular views from a Greenshank and a Snipe amongst the Oystercatchers, which was great to see at this relatively urban site.
The local football team came onto the field and provided entertainment for us, until the cry went up "Merlin in pursuit"! The next 10 minutes saw us all peering through scopes and bins watching the Merlin chase a Ringed Plover, the gap staying almost the same at every point as they wheeled across the harbour! Eventually the Merlin ran out of steam and flew off down the Straits, leaving the Plover to recover somewhere safe.
By now, it was time to get into position for the catch. We use radios to communicate as most of the team were unable to see anything of beach. Unfortunately, some of the Oystercatchers were very much asleep right where we didn't want them, in the safety zone. Richard moved into almost full view, and got no reaction. Steve jumped around and clapped his hands on the opposite spit, which didn't even get an eye open! In the end, Ros crawled to the top of the beach and threw small stones down the bank, but even this didn't get an immediate reaction. We were all listening and watching from behind a hut, getting more and more frustrated at this one bird that refused to wake up! Suddenly, we heard "it's moved, 3-2-1...BANG!"
Having so many people on the team meant that we extracted the 190 birds very quickly, and I managed to extract a few more than usual. I was nominated to help Rachel colour ring the Oyks, so spent the rest of the afternoon holding rings on legs waiting for glue to set.

Brown bellied Dipper

That evening, I had been invited to visit a Dipper river with Chris and Hamza, with Jamie meeting us there. At the first bridge I realised my welly was leaking... GREAT! However, the evening was a good opportunity to see these delightful little birds up close, even if they already had rings on. Due to me being rather petite and certainly not a strong climber, I missed out a few of the bridges, staying up top, but we didn't find any at those bridges. Chris faced a dilemma when he found a roost of Wrens under a bridge - because they are day flying birds, if we caught them we would have to return them the next day, which would be difficult due to another planned ringing session. We decided to leave them be, with the hope that they would still be there the following night. By 10pm we had caught three Dippers on two rivers, and called it a night.

The next morning was an early-ish start at 6am, travelling to a farm near Porthmadog to use a whoosh net to catch Starlings. Whoosh nets are similar to cannon nets, just without the gunpowder! Basically, they throw a net over the birds, which is released using a pin on string system. We baited the catching area with bread and grain from the farmer, and set up some mist nets alongside the barns, hoping to catch some of the 30+ Chaffinch and House Sparrow that were flying around the farm. While we waited, the farm terrier started digging in a pile of cuttings and was soon shaking his head for the kill. When we investigated, there was a tiny Shrew lying in the hole. It was placed on a fence post with the hope of attracting a Kestrel, but the terrier had other ideas and stole it back!
Eventually the bread attracted a Meadow Pipit, so we got to see the trap in action. When it was brought to the truck for ringing, I was presented with my second tick of the year. Meadow Pipits have incredibly long rear claws, and this is measured to determine if it is a Meadow or Tree Pipit. As we don't catch many of this species, everyone had a good look at the features before he was let go, telling us off as he went!
After a few hours of waiting in the rain for the Starlings to appear, we decided to pack up. And, sod's law, as soon as the kit was back in the truck, they arrived! Nevermind, I got the impression that this is a site we may visit again, so I'm sure I'll be able to add Starling to my list soon.
When I got home my gear smelt of Oystercatcher and manure, so a quick hose down outside for the gear, and straight in the shower for me. Later, with my kit drip drying over the bath I noticed that my Gran had used bleach in the toilet, presumably to hide the natural smells coming from my stuff. I must confess that I actually preferred the Oyk smell and hint of manure to the bleach... is this normal?

Anyway, I'm off to Malta this weekend for a girly holiday with a friend from Uni. When we booked the trip, I had no intention of birding while there, but I have done my packing this evening and found my binoculars and Birds of Europe book fitted very nicely into my rucksack... will keep you posted on what I find!