17th February 2024
A slightly frustrating day a set for either Wigeon or Brent Geese was slightly strange in that there were no Wigeon at all on the fleet and most of them were out on the creek for the whole of the day. However, over 1,000 Brent Geese at Marsh Farm saw groups on the catch field early on and we elected to take a small catch of 6 birds really early as we knew we could re set. Following the early success several larger flocks congregated on the catch field and we were very unfortunate to not have a large number in the catching area on a few occasions. Attempts to "twinkle" them were very nearly successful but a screaming child and a Sparrowhawk meant we were unlucky. Eventually a an opportunity to take a second small catch arose and firing on five birds resulted in a three being caught.
| Species | Ringed | Colour ringed |
|---|---|---|
| Brent Goose | 9 | 9 |
27th January 2024
A bonus catch of 3 Brent Geese after resetting following a catch of 17 Wigeon at Marsh Farm.
| Species | Ringed | Colour ringed |
|---|---|---|
| Brent Goose | 3 | 3 |
Brent Goose Catch 22 Jan 2023
A very difficult weekend a nice double set on the Saturday saw a frustrating day with very little activity near the catching area. Small numbers of birds on the catch field but many birds at the other end of the farm were more interested in grazing on a sheep field. Sunday morning we deployed blockers in each field and managed to eventually get just over 200 birds in the catch field but tantalisingly close to the catching area but just not close enough. After a very slow bit of pressure we had a few birds in the catching area and took a small catch of five birds as a consolation as the flock looked twitchy and like it was going to lift.
| Species | Ringed | Colour ringed |
|---|---|---|
| Brent Goose | 5 | 5 |
Methods
The Southern Colour Ringing Group catches Brent Geese using a cannon net, which involves firing a large net over birds feeding on grazed fields or salt marsh.
Once the net is set and the cannons connected, we wait for geese to be attracted to decoys we have put in the field near the set net. When enough geese are in the area and it is safe to do so, the net is fired.
The team of ringers then removes the geese from under the net and temporarily places them in hessian sacks which are stored in a holding area for processing. Birds are then aged and fitted with an uniquely numbered metal ring. Measurements may be taken to help identify the sex of each goose. We also fit colour rings (green rings with white letters and a two digit code) which allows the birds to be relocated without needing to be recaptured. There are many more bird-watchers looking for colour-ringed birds, than there are cannon netting teams, so this greatly improves our chances of understanding the movements of the birds from the Crouch Estuary.
If you see a bird with one of our colour rings, please send details (ring-code, date, location, species) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Ringing totals
2019-2020 winter totals
| Species | Ringed | Colour ringed |
|---|---|---|
| Brent Goose | 35 | 35 |
2021-2022 winter totals
| Species | Ringed | Colour ringed |
|---|---|---|
| Brent Goose | 52 | 53 |
2022-2023 winter totals
| Species | Ringed | Colour ringed |
|---|---|---|
| Brent Goose | 5 | 5 |
2023-2024 winter totals
| Species | Ringed | Colour ringed |
|---|---|---|
| Brent Goose | 12 | 12 |
Grand totals
| Species | Ringed | Colour ringed |
|---|---|---|
| Brent Goose | 136 | 137 |