With waterfowl numbers now building up in the valley following the first
returning flood water, and Wigeon returning from the breeding grounds in
Iceland and Eastern Europe, numbers have already reached 3000+. Wigeon are our
most numerous wintering bird in the valley, with numbers peaking between January
and March (depending on flooding), at around 15,000 birds in recent years.
Unlike some of our duck species, Wigeon like to feed on the grasses and herbs
of the short sheep-grazed aftermath around the edges of the flooded Ings, where
they can fly back to the safety of the open water if disturbed, before quickly
swimming back to graze once again. At this time of year the birds will readily
come to grain, and so we have been baiting a couple of areas to catch a sample
in order to ring them. 233 were caught and ringed at Bank Island last week,
which will hopefully help us understand their breeding grounds, migration
routes, longevity and site faithfulness, as well as an opportunity to monitor
breeding success and the percentage of young in the catches. Many thanks to all
the volunteers who make this research and monitoring possible, and to Agrii UK
for the kind donation of grain.
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