Akaroa - A belated post 22-23 May

A few of the group were invited to join Laura when she was colour banding Tui around Akaroa. This is a project attempting to check on the progress of the population folowing the species reintroduction to the area a number ofyears ago. Laura's permit only allows her to band Tui and not any bycatch, as the permit that the group bands under most passerine species are bandabe. So the plan was that Laura would colour band the Tui and we would band any bycatch. On the morning of Saturday 22 May we started at a site at Takamatua at the head of the Akaroa Harbour.This proved to be vary successful for us but not so for the Tui catchers. All the the birds caught were adult male Bellbird of which there were incredible numbers, although there were Tui about they avoided the net. We were treated to a fabulus morning tea with great view. Ruud also took the opertunaty to do what he is very good at, both entertain and educate younger folk. In the afternoon and on the Sunday morning most of the group moved on to a site in the Akaroa township. I unfortunatly couldn't join them having to head back to Christchurch. I gather that the catch at this new site was fantastic with a total of 17 new Tui banded plus a few recaps from previous sessions. Bellbirds also proved to numerous, with the total for the trip being 22. There was also a few other species like Silvereye and Blackbird banded.