Tue/Wed 14/15 July - heaps of Silvereye

Houghton Valley School Tue 14 July

We had a successful session in the bush gully next to the school on Tuesday afternoon. With the school holidays on we had a number of interested younger folk join us which was great.

Some of the "Team"

We caught 65 birds with 18 new and 47 recaps. As is usual at this site almost all were Silvereyes with 16 new and all 47 recaps. Interestingly, 7 of the recaps had been banded at the stream at the bottom of the Valley in Houghton Bay.  Many had not been recaptured before and this number is more than we usually recapture in a session at the stream. The oldest bird was banded June 2010 in our second session at the school and is our oldest bird recaptured at this site.

The only other birds caught were 1 Blackbird and a Chaffinch.

Hornsey Rd Wed 15 July.

I set the funnel traps here this morning and caught 77 birds. 5 new Greenfinch and 1 recap, all the others were Silvereyes with 16 new and 55 recaps. The oldest Silvereye was banded 2009 although  this bird was recaptured quite recently. Another was banded June 2010 and hadn't been recaptured for several years.