Queenstown - A quick visit

Arrived back in Christchurch last night after a quick visit to our son's property near Queenstown. The trip down was delayed due to weather concerns, so instead of a week or so only had about 4 days. Also found when we arrived that the pump supplying water had packed a sad, so we were without water until a plumber could replace the pump. Even then the replacement didn't work properly.

The result of all this and the usual chores like lawn mowing etc. I didn't have as much time for banding as I would have liked. Never the less I managed to squeeze a bit in.

Hen House

Caught a few birds in the neighbours Hen House, the usual suspects.

House Sparrow - 5 (3)

Chaffinch - 1 (2) one of the recaps was banded Nov 15 and is now the oldest recap for the species.

Dunnock - 1 (1)

Thurlby Domain

Went down to the Domain on Wednesday afternoon and set a couple of nets up at old fruit trees. Although I caught 21 birds was a bit disappointed and gave myself a "could do better" mark. Went back on Thursday morning and did a lot worse with very few birds about and those that were around were feeding high. All birds caught were new.

Silvereye - 17, Chaffinch - 2, Dunnock - 3 and Bellbird - 2. As I said a month ago this site has huge potential just a matter of working out how to exploit it.

One of the old apple trees

A few wind fall pears.

Friday Morning.

Set up a couple of nets between apple and pear trees near the house where I had been doing a little feeding for a couple of days and had a reasonable catch.

House Sparrow - 2 (2)

Dunnock - 1 (0)

Silvereye - 17 (2) the two recaps had been banded together a year ago and were again caught together.

Tui - 0 (2) one was a female one of the first caught here and is now the oldest recap of the species. The other was a male and is now the oldest male Tui recaptured.

Bellbird - 2 (0)

One of the new Bellbird