6/2/15

Tuesday, June 02, 2015 -

Birds New Zealand Conference



 Last weekend I attended the awesome Birds New Zealand Conference. I really enjoyed listening to the brilliant talks, meeting people, bird banding and Marlborough Falcon Trust field trip.
 It was really nice to be able to attend the 75th Anniversary Conference in Blenheim.


The...






The Mist Netting workshop was absolutely great. It gave people (like me) to have a go at something they had never done before.


 
 The Greenfinch in the corner is the first bird I have ever banded. She is a 2+ female with a fat score of 2.
 As well as mist netting they had some funnel traps for Australasian Harrier. I went with some people to check them and got to hold a harrier in a pillow case.Out of four traps we got a banded adult                                                         and a younger non-banded bird.



 On the last day, the Monday, there was field trips. We went on Marlborough Falcon Trust Field Trip.
 Their aviaries are at Brancott estate vineyard, one public with a male and female bird in separate sections and the other a breeding aviary that may people do not get to see.

 They have one falcon, Fern doing fling displays. She is very photogenic.


(Below is a Greenfinch feeding beside the path)






 After that we went to have a quick look at the sewage ponds and saw two Cirl Buntings.