The Grand Bird Banding 8 January 2016

The Grand Golf Course Bird Banding: 8 January 2016

Licenced Banders:  Stephen Macdonald, and Rainer Ebel

Guests: No Guests

Location: The Grand Golf Course, 346 Gilson Road, Gilston QLD 4211: 28°0’54” S 153°18’2”E,  “Tipster site”.  Temperature: 25 -30°C; Cloud Cover: 2-10%; Net Operation: 07:00 to 10:30= 3.5 hrs.

Number of nets:  9 (2m tall by 12m long, 32mm mesh) Number of net-hrs: 31.5 net-hrs. Birds/net-hrs (Effort): 0.13. Number of birds: 4 representing 3 species.

Brown Honeyeater 1; White-throated Honeyeater 2; White-throated Treecreeper 1.

White-throated Honeyeater; Age/Sex 2-/U

White-throated Treecreeper, common  Note the claws  

Brown Honeyeater (2+/U), one of our smaller  honeyeaters, The Scarlet
Honeyeater is the smallest in size. Interestingly enough through
DNA analysis the Scarlet is considered by some to be within a Corvid
super family; in other words, related to a Common Raven. Go figure

COMMENT

We had to close the nets early due to a personal commitment. The nets would also have been closer a little later as it was becoming hotter by the half hour, especially for  some of our nets that where located in direct sunshine.

Weather conditions were relatively hot and humid (80%).   Forest floor litter abundant and the forest undergrowth is sparse and not much different from our previous visit. In the dry scherophyll forest where the "Tipster "banding site is located, it was "dead" quiet except for the CICADAS -almost deafening . Their  incessant noise may be responsible for keeping perhaps the majority of the passerines at bay and from the nets. It is only a thought but some banders do agree the noise may be responsible for low capture rates but, as far as I know there are no studies to say one way other another. 

I though I had a quality sample of their racket but it turned out it was rather blah and weak. Next time.    

Other Observations

An additional 15 birds recorded while at our station and on the fairways.