I'm replying to my own message here, may be useful to other
less-experienced observers who see banded/flagged birds. Some time
ago I posted about a Caspian Tern that I'd photographed that had an
orange thing on one leg and a metal band on the other. Not knowing
what was significant I sent the photo off to the Bird and Bat Banding
Scheme but they referred me to the Australasian Wader Studies
Group
http://www.tasweb.com.au/awsg/
Less than a day later I received the following from Clive Minton
of the AWSG that demonstrated that it was the 'flag' that was
significant, and that in fact there is useful information to be obtained
simply from the observation of "orange flag on lower right
leg":
- Thank you for recording the details of the flagged tern that was
recently sighted. We appreciate your action in reporting this
information, which will contribute to our understanding of the migration
of birds in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.
- Please check the information given below and advise me if any details
appear incorrect.
- A Caspian Tern Sterna caspia was sighted by Julian Robinson at:
Tabourie lake, NSW, Australia 35deg 26min 0sec S, 150deg 24min 0sec
E on 26/08/2007 with flag(s) as follows:
- LEFT leg: nothing/unknown on tibia
(upper leg) above metal band on tarsus
- RIGHT leg: nothing/unknown on tibia
(upper leg) above orange flag on tarsus
- This bird was flagged as a chick at Clonmel Island, near Port Albert,
Corner Inlet, Victoria, approximate co-ordinates 38deg 41min S, 146deg
50min E, which uses the flag combination Orange Right Tarsus, sometime
since December 1999.
- The resighting was a distance of approximately 480 km, with a bearing
of 42 degrees, from the marking location.
- Thank you for contributing to shorebird research studies in the East
Asian-Australasian Flyway. The information you have helped to
collect is valuable for scientific and conservation purposes.
- Please report to us any further flag sightings you may make in the
future. This can be direct or via the electronic form on the
Australasian Wader Studies Group website:
http://www.tasweb.com.au/awsg/index.htm
- The "processing" of leg flag sightings is financially
supported by the Federal Department of Environment and Heritage in
Australia.
- Yours sincerely,
- Clive Minton, Australasian Wader Studies Group
- Processed 28/08/2007, our reference: 00013846 (UNK69560).
So the message for other photographers and observers is that it is
worth reporting your flag sightings and easy to do.
Julian
I meant to point out the bands
on one of the Caspian Terns as Suzi mentioned, a yellow band on the right
leg and a metal or grey band on the left. Is such limited info
useful to anyone?
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