Report on bird banding at Coutts Crossing 15.02.2014

REPORT ON BIRD BANDING AT COUTTS CROSSING

15.02.2014

           

Banders:  Greg Clancy, Bill Greenlees

Assistants/Visitors: Kirsten Wallis, Paul O’Callaghan, Val Clancy

Only four birds were mist netted on the one day.  There were no retraps.

 The results are shown in the table below.

 

SPECIES	15/02/2014
	Banded Retrap
Black-faced Monarch	1          0
Golden Whistler	1          0
Rufous Whistler	2          0
TOTALS	4          0

 

Rufous edging to secondaries on first year Golden Whistler

First year Rufous Whistler

 

The Golden Whistler was a first year Tasmanian bird.  The two Rufous Whistlers were both first year birds.  Rufous Whistler numbers during the autumn-winter period at Coutts Crossing dropped noticeably during the drought but seem to have recovered.  This suggests that these birds may originate, like most Golden Whistlers, from southern latitudes.  The immature Black-faced Monarch was an unusual catch and was probably a bird on passage to more northern latitudes as was the Rufous Fantail that was observed.

 

Immature Black-faced Monarch

Immature Black-faced Monarch

 

Interesting observations were of 20+ White-throated Needletails and 1 Fork-tailed Swift. An adult Sacred Kingfisher was observed feeding young in its nest hollow in a large eucalypt.  A very brightly coloured wasp-like insect was photographed.  It was later identified by Ian Buddle as a Giant Robber Fly. Black Prince Cicadas and meat ants were also photographed.

Adult Sacred Kingfisher near nest hollow

Adult Sacred Kingfisher with Garden Sun-skink near nest hollow

Sacred Kingfisher nest hollow in eucalypt

 

 

Giant Robber Fly Phelus olgae caught in mist net, released unharmed

 

 

 

Black Prince Cicada

 

 

Black Prince Cicada (ventral view)

 

 

 

Meat ants at nest