Back into the swing

I am pleased to announce that there are now 4 new whinchats with colour rings. I haven't caught the ringed bird (yet), but there is plenty of time still. It is a relief after yesterday. It’s usually the case that the first day of fieldwork doesn’t go to plan and yesterday was no exception. After a long morning I just couldn’t catch any of the birds and came back frustrated. Let's hope that yesterday was just ‘one of those days’ after the good day today.

 One of today's 4 new whinchats, still in beautiful plumage even after flying over the Sahara. One of the birds, hatched this year, was in such terrible condition I wondered how it made the journey. I hope it gains condition before making the return flight.

Things do seem different from last year and I think it is because it is still early and the ground is wet and the vegetation thick. It is tricky to find a good place to put traps. Yesterday we set them at the edge of a corn field where 3 birds were chasing each other, plus two more sets by other birds in the area. For the whole morning the birds did not really respond to the playback. Everybody seems very intolerant of their each other (and of me) and all around there are whinchats chasing each other and ‘ticking’ - their way of showing their irritation at trespassers.

The fieldsite after the rains. There is little bare ground and the vegetation is 

green and lush - a far cry from when I left it in April.

This morning we decided to take a different approach and set mist nets in the tall maize. These very fine nets are almost impossible to see amongst tall vegetation, providing you work before sun and breeze give them away. To my surprise they worked well and 3 of today’s bird were caught in the nets. I will take advantage of the maize before it is harvested in late October. The more birds I can catch with nets the better, as it might well be a case of ‘once bitten, twice shy’ with the spring traps. Normally, ornithologists use mist nets to catch small birds like whinchats, and I will indeed use them for whitethroats later in the season. Sometimes, however, it is not possible to use nets because the habitat is too open, or perhaps something else works better, like spring traps. Both methods are good for different situations, and most importantly they are safe for the birds. The word ‘trap’ does sound a little harsh, but these are brilliantly designed and work a treat without stressing the bird.

On the left is a set trap showing the trigger, which when pulled springs the netting shut (as demonstrated by the cotton bag on the right). The playback is put nearby.

For whinchats, spring traps are perfect as they take advantage of the bird’s natural behaviour. Whinchats typically perch on the top of small bushes, flying down every so often to pick prey from the ground. They are also territorial and so will respond to the song and calls of whinchats. Birds use song and calls to attract mates, broadcast territories, announce the presence of a predator and to let each other know where they are. Consequently, birds will often come to investigate the songs and calls of birds of their species. Whinchats are no exception and treat the sound of another whinchat as the presence of an intruder. Using ‘playback’ simply means playing songs and calls to get a bird’s attention. With this in mind, it is relatively straightforward to catch a whinchat. You will need:

whinchats

4 or 5 spring traps

live bait (the wigglier the better)

playback

a small isolated bush

equal parts patience and perseverance
a sprinkling of good luck

The key is to use the playback to get your bird to come near the traps. If the traps are placed where the bird will see the baited triggers, they will fly down to feed, spring the trap and you will catch your whinchat. A small bush on its own is best - that way the bird is close to the ground (and your traps) and not perched far away. I use maggots for bait as they definitely tick the wiggle box and are marvellously resilient, even under the African sun (you get used to them after a while, getting hold of them is the unpleasant bit!). Getting all of this right is often trial and error and you have to move to a different bush (or 5). Some birds are just not bothered to too suspicious to catch. Some are so territorial that they will perch immediately above the playback and become so transfixed that they ignore the bait. The worst culprits will perch on every single bush apart from the one with the traps underneath. I'm sure these birds are deliberately trying to wind me up! Getting it to work is rewarding, and I am always excited to check the traps. Whinchats are brilliant little birds to ring as they are a bit of a challenge to age and sex (but almost always possible) and have an air of robustness and resilience about them that is reassuring to any ringer. Plus they are really gorgeous.

I am off to take a tentative drive down to my other sub-site. I suspect that the road is undriveable so it may be that I will have to wait to see if my birds have returned. I am excited to see this site. There is a river running along one side and I often see great birds there.

Emma