Queenstown - Some Girls

I have had a couple of sessions in the last few days. One at the neighbours apple orchard where I caught mostly Silvereyes, although numbers were well down with fewer birds about. The other session was here where mostly new Tui were caught plus a few Bellbirds. The combined total caught was 38 birds of 5 species with 31 new and 7 recaps.

Silvereye - 15 (1) as well as fewer birds feeding on the apples the nets were poorly positioned.
House Sparrow - 4 (1)
Dunnock - 1
Bellbird - 2 (3) the 2 new birds were both female the ratio is now 5 female to 23 male.

One of the new female Bellbird.

Tui - 8 (2) there appears to have been an influx of new birds in the last week or so. Of the 10 birds caught 9 were female. this is a big contrast to previous sessions.

Back in Queenstown

We have been back in Queenstown now for several days and I have managed to get a bit of banding in. I have had a couple of sessions here and a couple in the neighbours apple orchard where there are a lot of apples left on the trees. Silvereyes are at the moment in large numbers in this orchard.

There are still heaps of apples to keep birds well fed.

Have caught 106 birds of 9 species with 89 new and 17 recaptures.
Combined totals for all sessions are - (Recaps in brackets)
Blackbird - 1
Song Thrush - 1 (1)
Chaffinch - 1 (1)
House Sparrow 12 (3)
Dunnock - 2 (1)
Bellbird - 5 (1) All were males, Have now banded 25 birds here and all but 3 have been males.

Two male Bellbirds

Tui - 5 (2) although not as biased as Bellbirds males also dominate the catch. I have run out of bands for them and am waiting on some more from the Banding Office. When I first started banding here I hadn't expected to catch Tui and didn't bring any YP bands for males. After catching one and releasing it unbanded I got some bands for them expecting to catch half a dozen or so. I have now banded 32 and there are still unbanded birds about.

A male Tui

A Tui caught in a net would make a good candidate for an "Angry Birds" show.

Silvereye - 61 (8) the majority have been caught in the apple orchard next door.
Grey Warbler - 1

Kapiti Island hihi end of season wrap up

The main hihi field work on Kapiti Island has finished at the end of March and it was a solid season overall. A total of 134 birds were identified throughout the season. This number is made up of 97 adults identified in the October 2015 pre-breeding census, and 37 birds banded throughout the season - 20 adults and 17 juveniles. The pre-breeding census count of 97 birds is slightly down on the previous season where 104 birds were identified. But the total end of season figure of 134 is slightly higher than the 129 identified at the end of the 2014/2015 season.

Taking a tarsus measurement. Photo: Dallas Bishop

From April 2015 to March 2016 a total of 3879L of sugar water was dragged up the hill with 3260L (84%) of this being consumed. This was an increase on distribution but a decrease on consumption from last season. The hinau on the island flowered strongly this season, as did the rewarewa. Both of these species are key food sources for hihi, while the rata and pohutukawa had a poor flowering season which may have affected the increased numbers of feisty and dominant korimako/bellbirds using the feeding stations.

Count all the male hihi!

The Hihi Heroes (volunteers) contributed approximately 560hrs to the hihi program during the 2015/2016 season which allowed for more sugar to make it up the hill and really helped with the accuracy of the pre-breeding census.

The flash new interpretation sign at one of the feeding stations.

Here’s hoping that many of the 134 banded birds (as well as the others that evaded capture) survive the winter and we have another successful season in 2016/2017. 

Queenstown - last week roundup

I am up in Christchurch at the moment and will be here for the next couple of weeks or so. We are taking possession of our new dwelling so will be living here for most of the time but still hope to get down to Queenstown on a regular basis to continue the banding study.

During the period before we left Queenstown I managed to get some nets up on a couple of days and also had a session at the neighbours were Silvereyes have started to feed in an apple orchard. Mark the neighbour has left a lot of fruit for the birds. Since the last post 55 birds of 8 species were caught with 42 new and 13 recaps.

A bit of snow about and we had several good frosts

Silvereye - 22 (1)
House Sparrow - 10 (6)
Chaffinch - 3 (0)
Blackbird - 0 (1)
Song Thrush - 0 (1)
Dunnock - 1 (0)
Tui - 6 (2)

Some big male Tui about but they don't seem to be as big or as heavy as those in Wellington.

Bellbird - 0 (2)
I should be back down there for a week or so later in June so hopefully will get a bit of banding in then.

Queenstown - banding in the rain

During the last week or so banding has been limited by the weather. Since May 8 there has been only 1 day without rain, it hasn't rained all day every day so I have managed to get nets up at times.

During this period 41 birds of 10 species have been caught with 30 new and 11 recaptures.
Blackbird - 2 (1)
Starling - 1
Chaffinch - 1 (1)
Goldfinch - 1
Redpoll - 1 I set nets up to target a flock of Redpoll feeding in a row of Silver Birch trees and only caught the one. A couple of Yellowhammers was however an unexpected bonus.
Yellowhammer - 2

One of the Yellowhammers

Silvereye - 1 Watched a flock of about 30 Silvereyes fly between 2 trees so set a net up next day and didn't even see one.
Grey Warbler - 1 Only the second banded here.

The Grey Warbler was another youngster but a bit more developed in the feather department.

Tui - 8 (6) Three of the recaps was of the same bird. Must be a slow learner.
Bellbird - 2 (1) One of the new birds was another female making it 18 males and 3 females banded here.

Queenstown - a wet week

It has been raining for most of the last week but I did manage to get nets up on a couple of days. It was a matter putting nets up, raining, furling nets, rain stop and then putting nets up again. I didn't catch a huge number of birds but I was still pleased with the catch which included 7 new Tui which were the primary target. It's not often that I manage to catch many of a target species.

The totals for the 2 days was -
Blackbird - 1
House Sparrow -2
Dunnock - 0 (1)
Bellbird - 1 (3) I have now banded 19 Bellbirds with all but 2 being Male. Both Females have been recaptured so they are still about and appear to be the only females coming to the sugar water feeders.
Tui - 7 there are still a few unbanded birds coming to the feeders but the majority appear to be banded.

The forecast for the next week or so is for rain and possibly snow on most days with Tuesday looking like the only day mist netting might be possible. No bird photo today but I have included one showing the first snow of the year on the Remarkables. Should cheer up the snow bunnies.

Queenstown - The beginning of May

I have had several banding sessions in the last week or so, with as usual mixed results. I had three nets up in the area where I saw the Brown Creeper but they did not put in an appearance. They had been there a couple of days before while I was cutting a new net lane. Managed to catch a few birds, mostly recaps and also a hang of a lot of leaves.

A net full of leaves where I had hoped there would be Brown Creeper.

Also had a session at the neighbours with a bit more success than last week, the catch included a pair of Tui.

Sixty four birds of 7 species have been caught since the last post with 44 new and 20 recaptures.
Blackbird - 4 (6) among the recaps was the first Blackbird banded down here so it now has the honour of being the oldest bird recaptured here.
Chaffinch - 1 (0)
Dunnock - 0 (4)
Silvereye - 30 (2) There are a few flocks starting to appear, mostly feeding high up.
House Sparrow - 4 (3)
Bellbird - 3 (6) surprised at how many recaptures are being made. Caught the second female which now makes the ratio 2 F's and 18 M's.

The second female Bellbird caught at this site.

Tui - 2 (0)

The female Tui about to go on its merry way.