Thursday 31 July 2014

Bird banding at Coutts Crossing 24-25 May 2014

   
Banding was carried out at the reserve and private property adjacent to the Coutts Crossing Cemetery on Saturday May 24 and Sunday May 25. Thirty birds of 15 species were mist netted over the two days.  There were two retraps.





Red-bellied Black Snake



Banders:  Greg Clancy, Jan Patterson, Bill Greenlees


Assistants/Visitors: Warren Thompson, Val Clancy

 

 
The results are shown in the table below.

 

SPECIES
24/05/2014
25/05/2014
TOTALS
 
Banded Retrapped
Banded Retrapped      
Banded Retrap
Peaceful Dove
     1          0
     0           1
     1          1
Grey Fantail
     2          0
     3           0
     5          0
Willie Wagtail
     0          0
     1           0
     1          0
Eastern Yellow Robin
    
     1          0
    
     2           0
 
     3          0
Golden Whistler
     1          1
     1           0
     2          1
Speckled Warbler
     0          0
     2           0
     2          0
Red-backed Fairy-wren
 
     0          0
 
     1           0
 
     1          0
Eastern Spinebill
     1          0
     2           0
     3          0
Brown Honeyeater
     1          0
     0           0
     1          0
Lewin’s Honeyeater
     0          0
     1           0
     1          0
Fuscous Honeyeater
     0          0
     1           0
     1          0
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
    
     2          0     
    
     2           0
 
     4          0
Blue-faced Honeyeater
 
     0          0
 
     1           0
 
     1          0
Red-browed Finch
     0          0
     1           0
     1          0
Pied Butcherbird
     1          0
     0           0
     1          0
TOTALS
   10          1
   18           1
   28          2

 
Peaceful Dove


Peaceful Dove showing underwing colour

 

One of the Golden Whistlers had a tail/wing ratio suggested that it was from Tasmania.  The other two had ratios that were in the overlap zone of measurements, meaning that they could have been Tasmanian birds or may have been mainland birds.  One was an adult male and its upper tail colouration suggested that it was a Victorian or southern New South Wales bird.

Adult male Golden Whistler

Tail of adult male Golden Whistler showing olive base
                                

The two Speckled Warblers were of interest as this species is listed as threatened in New South Wales and is a declining woodland species.  It is rare in the Clarence Valley but the Coutts Crossing banding site is a regular location.  There have only been 9 other Speckled Warblers banded at the site since 1987.

 
Adult male Speckled Warbler (black eyebrow)

Adult female Speckled Warbler (rufous eyebrow)
 

Based on their tail/wing ratios the 5 Grey Fantails would appear to be Tasmanian birds.  The one Fuscous Honeyeater is the first banded at the site since 1990 and there have only been 12 others banded at the site since 1986.

Adult female Fuscous Honeyeater
.

Interesting observations were of Little and Musk Lorikeets, 1+ Weebill and a flock of approximately 12 White-winged Choughs. A dark wallaby only glimpsed was almost certainly a Swamp Wallaby and scats found near of one the nets matched that species.  This is the first record of the species at this site.  I have only seen one other near Coutts Crossing.  It was at the Orara River banding site a few years back.  Red-necked Wallabies, Eastern Grey Kangaroos and Rufous Bettongs are the usual macropods found at the Coutts Crossing site near the Cemetery.

 
Swamp Wallaby scats

I had a close encounter with an adult Red-bellied Black Snake.  I reached down to pull out a couple of pine wildlings and as I reached for one I sensed something very close.  I had put my hand next to the head of the snake.  It became very defensive and raised its head preparing to strike if necessary.  I managed a few photos and then left it to make its escape unhindered.

 
Red-bellied Black Snake watching me warily

I photographed an interesting grass, the Silky Browntop Eulalia aurea, that isn’t listed for the NSW North Coast in the Flora of NSW.  It is known from the Northern Tablelands.

Silky Browntop



Silky Browntop
 
 
Immature Pied Butcherbird
 
 

Immature Pied Butcherbird
 
 
First year Eastern Yellow Robin
 
 
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
 
Adult Willie Wagtail
 
 
Adult Willie Wagtail
Adult male Red-browed Finch
Adult female Eastern Spinebill
 
Adult female Blue-faced Honeyeater


 
 
As usual we had a productive couple of days of banding and handled some beautiful birds.  We are very fortunate on the New South Wales North Coast to have such a great diversity of birds.

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