AUTUMNWATCH viewers were left uncomfortable on Wednesday night after Micahela Strachan joined a group of surveyors capturing dozens of birds in a net.
The bird survey used a method called “cannon netting” to capture between 40 to 50 birds in a net so they could ring them in The Wash, Norfolk.
The nets, placed along the beach at strategic points, are placed overnight and then fired at dawn over the birds in a bid to capture them in one go.
The Wash Wader Ringing Group have been working on ringing the birds for over 60 years to track their movements.
It was hoped that they were able to see sanderlings during the latest efforts.
After the cannons were shot, the group then charged the beach to get to the birds in the nets, moving them out to boxes and working quickly so the birds don’t drown in the water.
The animals were then measured and “ringed” – getting an ankle tag so they can be noted for when they’re spotted next.
However, fans weren’t happy with what they saw, arguing that the loud explosion, and the netting, would leave the birds in distress.
“I look forward to the day when the Sanderlings fire explosives,scare them and trap the presenters under a net and attach ankle bracelets to them,” wrote one fan, with an awkward face emoji.
“the explosive firing of the nets over those poor birds was disgusting,” said another. “I cannot believe you so called environmentalists think that is OK.”
“Shooting a net off like that to capture birds is poor practice,” argued a third, while a fourth said: “Crikey bet that scared the little birds.”
Another questioned: “How is that not hugely detrimental Disruptive and distressing to the birds?”
However, others were fascinated by the practice, with one saying: I would absolutely love to be part of the Wash Wader Ringing Group
Brilliant job by the #Autumnwatch team and @michaelastracha covering the work of the @WashWader ringing group tonight. There is much I could say but I think autumnwatch covered it all very well tonight.
The Wash Wader Ringing group however argued that the practice and use of cannon netting is perfectly safe for the birds, with procedures in place in order to keep the birds as calm as possible throughout the process.
This included keeping the birds together in boxes of 20, as they are social birds who like to be kept together.
Once they are ringed, they are freed – and the monitoring has revealed that the sanderlings can live up to 17 years, with their travel patterns also being marked as a result.
Autumnwatch continues on BBC Two.
