Hornsey Rd - Greenfinch but no Silvereye

I have done some banding here in the last few days, both with the funnel traps and mist nets. Almost all the birds caught were Greenfinch with 44 new birds and 21 recaptures. Most of the recaps were banded recently including 2 from the last Zoo session. The oldest one recaptured was  a bird banded at Houghton Bay in Sept last year. The only other species caught were; 1 new House Sparrow and a new Blackbird and 1 recap. The new Blackbird had its right leg missing from above the knee but with a wing length of 129 mm and weight of 92 g it appears to be getting along fine. The recap was banded in Nov 2010.

There was a total lack of Silvereyes; they seem to have moved on completely. They have departed from here the first week in August for the last 2 years.

I sighted a colour banded Tui yesterday which was banded at the Zoo in June 2006 and at 2350 days from banding is now our oldest Tui either re-sighted or recaptured. We have had 1 bird recovered dead at an older age.