Hornsey Rd 9 June - more Silvereyes

I set the funnel trap at home yesterday and had a pretty good catch. Caught 43 birds with, as expected, most being Silvereyes - 22 new and 12 recaps. No old birds among the recaps with a 2012 bird being the oldest.  Often older birds don't return until July. Silvereye numbers are about 3 weeks ahead of most years when we don't usually catch significant numbers until the end of June into July.

One of the Silvereyes had a very orange chin.

Other birds caught were 2 new Greenfinch and 4 new House Sparrows and a recap.

Houghton Bay Sunday 17 August - heaps of Silvereye

We had a very successful banding session at the Houghton Bay stream this morning. I was joined by Sarah J, Kyle with Finn and Kyle's parents who are over from Canada for a visit.

Three generations, father Kyle, his father Ken and Grandson Finn (somewhere under the blue hat)

We caught a total of 81 birds of 8 species with 71 new and 10 recaptures.

Birds caught were - (recaps in brackets)
Blackbird - 3 (0)
Song Thrush - 1 (0) only the 4th caught at this site.
Dunnock - 1 (0)
Greenfinch 1 (0)
House Sparrow - 2 (0)
Grey Warbler - 1 (1)
Fantail - 1 (0)
Silvereye 61 (9) I think this is the biggest Silvereye total caught at any site this year. Of the recaps 1 was banded at the Zoo, 1 on Mt Albert and 2 here at Hornsey Rd.

One of the Silvereye had a very noticeable growth bar across its tail and also had a very poorly defined eye ring.

Hope to have another session tomorrow afternoon to compare birds AM v PM.

Houghton Valley School Saturday 28 June - Silvereyes

A group of us had a banding session at the regenerating bush patch next to the Houghton Bay School on Saturday afternoon. I had hoped to go there during the week to have some of the school kids take part but unfortunately the weather had other ideas. Hope to have another go this week but again the forecast doesn't look hopeful.

The "Team" with Mary our scribe looking very comfortable

On Saturday we caught 46 birds, almost all Silvereyes with the only others 1 Blackbird, 1 Song Thrush (first one for the site) and a Dunnock all new.

The Song Thrush, aged as a 1 by the thorns on its coverts.

Of the Silvereyes 38 were new and 5 were recaps, 2 banded in Houghton Bay about 1km south, 1 Mt Albert 1.5km north, 1 in the gully below my house 1km NE and only 1 from this site. We didn't band at this site last year due to damage done by the Southerly gales in late May early June.

A feature of the day was the number of locals that joined us for periods while they were out walking in the area, and resulted in some very interesting discussions.

One of our visitors holding a Silvereye ready for release.

We have had very good news, Sarah and Kyle a couple of regular banders, have a little hatchling - a baby boy called Finn. Unfortunately due to bureaucracy he will be a Branta canadensis not a Apteryx australis.

PS I have just received photos of the new arrival and parents, they all look well and he looks a little cracker.

Finn

Mt Albert Wednesday 26 Feb - Heaps of Silvereyes

I had a very successful morning at the Mt Albert fennel patch, caught 64 birds all except 2 were Silvereyes. The only bycatch were a Dunnock and a Grey Warbler. Only 2 of the Silvereye were already banded with 1 from the Zoo banded Oct 2011, and the other banded a week or so ago when I had a net up while cutting net lanes. The morning started off  relatively quiet and then a 9 m net caught a flock of over 30 birds. This is the biggest mornings's total at this site

Part of the "big catch" in the 9 m net

Almost all the birds were aged as 1st year with only 2 positively aged as older. The Zoo banded recap and the Grey Warbler which had the red eyes of an adult.

Several Silvereye had growth bars across their tail making aging as 1st year easy

This bird had a rather nasty looking growth under its bill.

When the sun rose above the ridge the noise from the cicadas was deafening especially when one used my shoulder to give out his raspy song. Fortunately I had the nets down before they started to fly very much as they are a devil to get out of nets, having to be dismembered piece by piece.

Cicada using a net pole as a singing post

Fortunately this was the only one to fly into any net -  the last net as I was taking it down.
Sorry the photo is out of focus but you can get the idea.

Hornsey Rd 22 Oct - Silvereyes are Back

I have noticed that Silvereyes numbers have been increasing this last week after an almost complete absence since late July. This morning I set the funnel trap and caught 39 with 8 being new birds and 31 recaptures. Of the recaps 8 had been banded this year, 8 in 2012, 8 in 2011, 2 in 2010, 2 in 2009, 1 in 2008 and 2 in 2007 so a good range of ages. One of the 07 birds was 1 of the cohort of 100 we colour banded that year and appears to be the sole survivor, being the only one we have caught in the last couple of years, but I keep hoping more will turn up.

Possibly the last survivor of the colourful 100

Hornsey Rd 23 July - more Silvereyes

I set the funnel trap again yesterday and caught 96 Silvereyes with a bycatch of 1 Greenfinch. There were 27 new Silvereyes and 69 recaptures. The only birds of significance were the 2005 bird caught again and a 2008 bird caught for the first time in 4 years.

This is the fourth week in a row with a catch over 90. Each catch has had a number of new birds so there appears to be a constant  turnover, probably about 30-40% per week. The percentage of this year's birds recaptured has been increasing, as would be expected, as there is a larger pool each week with 180 now banded here this year. There were 41 birds banded in 2013, 9 in 2012, 12 in 2011, 2 in 2010, 1 in 2009, 2 in 2008 and 1 each in 2007 & 2005.

Hornsey Rd 18 July - a ton of Silvereyes

I set the funnel trap here this morning to have a round up of the Silvereyes. Caught a total of 102 which is the highest daily tally here since 2005.  There were 29 new birds and 73 recaptures. Although the total is only slightly up on the last couple of weeks there must have been a turnover of birds as along with the 29 new, there were 12 from past years which had not been caught previously this year. Among the Silvereyes were 3 banded at the Zoo, 2 at Houghton Bay, 1 at the Houghton Valley School and 5 on Mt Albert.  The only by-catch was a Greenfinch.

This afternoon I operated the trap down the road at Bridie's for an hour or so. Caught a bit more variety but still mostly Silvereyes with 11 new and 13 recaps. Also caught were a new Greenfinch and a recap.The recap was the same bird that I had banded here in the morning (he must be a bit thick as although there are lots of Greenfinch about it was the only one to enter either trap). As well a new Starling and a recap, and 1 new House Sparrow.

Of the 86 Silvereyes recaptured today at both sites 45 were banded this year, 13 in 2012, 12 in 2011, 7 in 2010 (including 2 recaptured for the first time), 2 in 2009, 2 in 2008, 2 in 2007 and 1 in 2005 (this bird has been caught in the last 2 weeks as well.

This bird banded in 2007 is the only one caught in the last two years from the 100+ colour banded that year and appears to be the only survivor.

Hornsey Rd 4 July - Silvereye

Set the funnel trap here this morning with considerable success.  I caught 95 Silvereyes with 34 new and 61 recaptures. There were 36 recaps that were banded this year, 9 last year, 4 in 2011, 7 in 2010, 1 in 2008 and the old one that was also caught last week banded in 2005.

On Tuesday I had a net up for a while until the wind got too strong.  I didn't catch a lot but did catch a Silvereye that was not one of ours (a control).  It appears that it was banded by Lindsay Rowe in Kaikoura back in Sept 2004 so, not only is it our longest distance recap and only the second to cross Cook Strait, it is also our third oldest recapture of a Silvereye. I suspect it probably arrived last week with the 100+ km wind up its tail and probably it would have taken about 1 1/2 hours to get here. The distance as the bird might have flown is just over 150 kms

This morning I also caught a bird with an unusual band number which I am still checking out.

Wellington Zoo 29 June - A BIG day

With near ideal conditions and a small but experienced banding team we caught a large number of birds today at the Zoo. The total for the day was 191 of 10 species with 114 new birds and 77 recaptures Although 10 species is a high number for this site most were represented by only 1 or 2 individuals.With the large number of birds being caught early we put fewer nets up than usual. Also due to recapturing birds a second or third time (about 50% of the catch towards the end) we closed down an hour sooner than we do on most occasions.

The "Team" all busy at their tasks, David, Danielle, Ros and Annette

Species caught were - (recaps in brackets)
Blackbird - 0 (1) an interesting recap as it was banded in Houghton Bay in Jan 2011. This is the longest distance that we have recaptured a Blackbird.
Dunnock - 0 (3)
Greenfinch - 12 (4) 1 of the recaps was banded at Bridie's on Hornsey Rd in Dec 12

The sexing and aging of Greenfinch caused some interesting discussion 

Goldfinch - 2 (0)
House Sparrow - 5 (1)
Starling - 1 (1) the recap was also banded at Bridie's in Jan 11
Silvereye - 89 (77) this is the highest Silvereye total we have caught in a day at the Zoo with the highest number of new birds and 1 less than the highest number of recaps. No really old birds were caught but there were 6 that were banded in 2009, 5 in 2010 and 5 in 2011.
Fantail - 1 (0)
Grey Warbler - 1 (1) the recap was banded in April last year.
Yellowhammer - 3 (0) the first at the Zoo for some time.

Ros taking one of the Yellowhammer's wing measurement

After we had packed up we were privileged to have a look at the birds that are being treated from storm injuries at the Nest (the Zoo bird hospital). What a great asset this facility is to the City but very sobering to see so many birds in care, esp. the bigger Albatrosses and Petrels.

One of the 6 White-capped Molly's that were received at the Nest after last weeks storm.

Mt Albert 7 March - Silvereyes

I went up to the fennel patch patch on Mt Albert this morning in an attempt to catch Silvereyes that feed there just after dawn. Managed to catch 14 of them with 12 new and 2 recaptures. 1 of the recaps was from the session 10 days ago and the other was banded at the Houghton Bay stream 3 days ago which adds a bit more evidence to the idea that the Silvereyes using the Houghton Bay stream come from a large area.

Several of the juveniles had dark bands across the end of their tails.  Not sure if its a growth bar or perhaps a change of diet while the tail was growing.

The only by-catch were 2 juvenile Dunnock.

Mt Albert 25 Feb - a few Silvereyes

Had an early banding session at the Mt Albert fennel patch this morning. Not a lot of birds about but managed to catch 10, with the exception of 1 Dunnock all were Silvereyes 8 new and 1 recapture. The recap was a little cracker, banded 13 Feb 06 so is aged 8+ notour oldest but still not bad for a little bird.

Houghton Bay Friday 14 Sept - Mostly Silvereyes

With the Houghton Bay stream being mostly out of the near gale northerly I set up the nets there this morning. Had a reasonably successful session with 40 birds of 6 species caught but although a this appears to be a good variety by far the majority were Silvereye. The recapture rate was extremely low with only 2 banded birds caught.

Species caught were - 2 Greenfinch, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Chaffinch, 1 recap Grey Warbler, 1 Tui and 33 new Silvereye and just 1 recap. The recap was banded here at my place back in July which adds a little bit of credence to the theory that the Silvereye from here have gone over to Houghton Valley to feed on flowering Karo.

Seven of the new Silvereye were in active wing moult; the first time I have come across this at this time of year but must admit I haven't always looked

Silvereye AP-6706 in moult

Birds AP-6688 & 6687 which were caught together I suspect are siblings from a late brood

Silvereye AP-6688 in moult

Silvereye AP-6687 in moult

 There appears to have been some young engineers at work in the stream doing a bit of dam building with dams built under two net sites. How this will affect the birds I am not sure; probably for the better.

The Dam under the bottom net

The Dam under the top net.

Hornsey Rd 9 July - A couple of old birds

Set the Funnel Trap this morning to check on the local Silvereyes with some success. Caught 39 with 8 new birds and 31 recaptures.  The 8 new birds as well as another 10 which haven't been caught at this site this year indicates that there has been an influx of new birds over the last week.

Two of the recaps were of a reasonable age, A-161829  was banded 11/2/05, 2705 days ago and A-154943 banded 11/2/03, 3314 days. This bird is now the 3rd oldest Silvereye the group has recaptured in the last 20 years; both these birds were last caught in 2009. The bird caught at the Zoo last month was our 3rd oldest Silvereye but is now relegated to 4th, interestingly though the two were banded in the same week. If we catch the Zoo one this month it will reverse the positions. Both birds will need to be caught next year to threaten our two oldest that were recaptured at 3737 and 3817 days.


In spite of the new birds caught today Silvereye numbers have been surprisingly stable since early May with weekly catches of 21, 38, 28, 39, 39, 38 and 39. Other species caught this morning were 2 Blackbirds, 1 Dunnock and a Starling.