Houghton Bay Saturday 30 May

I spent a couple of hours around midday at the Houghton Bay stream today. With rain appearing imminent when I left I had expected a small catch, if any. By the time I arrived the sky had cleared considerably and I had a much higher catch than expected. Ended up with 49 birds of 8 species with 42 new and 7 recaps. From 11 to noon the rate was relatively slow with only about a dozen birds caught but in the next hour I was pretty well stretched.
Species caught -
Blackbird - 2 (0)
Song Thrush - 1 (0) a relatively rare species at this site.
Chaffinch - 9 (1) the recap was banded in 2012
Goldfinch - 1 (0)
Greenfinch - 10 (1) the recap was banded at Bridie's in 2013
House Sparrow - 1 (0)
Silvereye - 17 (5) only 1 caught in first hour and then they arrived. Oldest was banded here at my place in 2013.
Fantail - 1 (0) plenty about but as usual they danced in front of or flitted around the net.

Newtown Park 28 May.

At the moment there are over 100 Yellowhammers feeding on the newly resown football field at Newtown Park. Last Thursday I attempted to catch some with very limited success. Since I last attempted this a couple of years ago there has been a great high fence built around the field. I am now unable to direct the birds towards the nets and had to rely on a pair of Magpies to herd the birds. In this they are quite good except they sent them in the wrong direction. Ended the morning with catching only 4 Yellowhammers plus a bonus catch of an Eastern Rosella.