Not much Banding as we get ready to relax.

 There hasn't been much banding recently. We had planned to set traps in an attempt to catch Harriers yesterday but were thwarted by the weather. The plan was to set the traps at my niece's property near Southbridge. The forecast was for light rain to develop in the afternoon, but it arrived several hours early just as we were starting to set the traps up. The trapping attempt was abandoned, and we will be unlikely to try again until next year. 

We did manage to band some interesting birds last Tuesday when Jan, Ruud and I banded some interesting Puli. At the Cashmere Rd property there were 4 Little Owls in one of our nest boxes which were duly processed and returned to their box. This is the largest brood we have managed to band. 

Ruud removing the Owlets from their box

One of the little, Little Owls getting its bling

Dan the property owner looking very happy with one of "his" owls

 

A photo of one of the chicks taken a fortnight ago.

After the Owls we then went to the Quarry to check out a Kingfisher nest hole. Judging by last year's records I thought that the chicks would still be too small. I was wrong they were well feathered and ideal for banding. The 4 chicks duly received their bling while they squawked and pooped as Kingfisher chicks do. Interestingly last year in a nest hole in the same bank we banded 3 chicks on Jan 4, so about 20 days later than this year.

Jan, who had the smallest hands extracting the youngsters from their nest hole

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The chicks were all well feathered, not like last year when there was a big variation.