Zoo Stream Thursday 5 Feb - Lots of Juvs

I went to the little stream over the fence from the Zoo on Thursday afternoon. The main reason was to establish a new net line further up the stream. I put up two of the usual nets when I arrived to sample the birds that were about and it turned out there were plenty. After clearing the new net lane I also eventually got a net up there and it proved a success.

Caught a total of 47 birds of 6 species with 44 new and 3 recaps. The majority of the birds caught were juvenile finches, some especially Goldfinch were only recently fledged with very short tails.

Species caught were -
Dunnock - 1 (0)
House Sparrow - 1 (0)
Silvereye - 3 (1)
Chaffinch - 6 (0) all except 1 were juvs.

Several of the juvenile Chaffinch are starting to show male colouration making sexing possible.

Greenfinch - 3 (0)
Goldfinch - 30 (2) only 2 (1 new 1 recap) were Adults all the rest were juveniles. The oldest recap was banded Aug 2012 and is the oldest we have caught for several years.

The older Goldfinch recap had a very well polished band, possibly from feeding on thistles.

Zoo Stream 24 Jan - mostly finches

I spent about 3 hours at the little stream over the fence from the Zoo this afternoon. Caught 43 birds - all new - and although there were 9 species the catch was dominated by finches, especially juvenile Goldfinch.

Species caught were -
Blackbird - 2

This Blackbird, a juvenile appears to have moulted most of its body feathers in one go

Dunnock - 1
Chaffinch - 8
Greenfinch - 5
Goldfinch - 20 all but 5 were juvs and of the first 12 birds caught 10 were juvenile Goldfinch

Several birds especially adults are in active primary moult.
This Goldfinch has moulted P1 & 2 and still retains the outer 7.

House Sparrow - 1
Silvereye - 4
Fantail - 1
Tui - 1 this Tui probably reduced the catch considerably as he aggressively chased any bird it saw. It manged to avoid the nets until it made a mistake, just before I packed up.