Hi Snipers,
I would just like to thank you all so much for your positive responses to our request for assistance with P8, our Snipe who go into trouble by getting her lower beak stuck in her satellite tracker harness. Your information
and photos have been very helpful.
After many days and nights of following her around, and a few attempts to capture her with no luck, I would like to announce that tonight we have finally been successful! Richard (one of our lead researchers on the team)
and Michael (our well respected Ranger) stalked her out and using a very bright light and a net managed to catch her. They have relieved her of her harness and she is now flying free and unencumbered. She is in good health.
One of our other birds – Tsubasa (P9) was also observed today at Kelly’s Swamp preening and behaving naturally. Nozomi (R0) has been leaving satellite tracks all over the place and has been visiting the flood runner
channels adjacent to the Molonglo River in Canturf every night before returning to Kelly’s before dawn. She was in the sewage farm for a while too! As mentioned previously, if anyone is interested I can send the tracks of the three birds to people direct (there
is a size limit on the chatline). It is interesting that these birds don’t go very far and we are starting to suspect that they may be permanent summer residents (in addition to leg flag data). We were never sure if we were surveying the same birds or different
ones each month. More to be revealed in time hopefully.
Once again, thank you for your concern and assistance and I will continue to keep you updated as the project progresses.
Cheers Lori
Lori Gould
Program Manager
Woodlands and Wetlands Trust (Jerrabomberra Wetlands)
M: 0439030058
PO Box 58 Fyshwick ACT 2609
www.woodlandsandwetlands.org.au