SAFRING National Bird ringing course, Landela

11-17 November 2005

In November 2005 a ringing training course was held at the Landela Christian camp, just outside Port Elizabeth. There were 15 attendees (ringers and trainees), ringing over 276 birds of 46 species over the duration of the course. Selected photos below illustrate some highlights.


Landela 2005
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
One of the adult Black headed-Orioles that was ringed.

Landela 2005
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
An immature Black-headed Oriole, showing the duller colours.

Landela 2005
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
One of several Forest Weavers that were ringed. Dieter spent many hours following these birds around.

Landela 2005
Photo Peter Nupen
Our ringing group hard at work! This group consisted of (from the left): Bob Ellis, Dieter Oschadleus, Sampat Lokugalappatti (standing), Oscar Noels, Graham Oatley, Michael Brooks, David Swanepoel, Cassy Sheasby, Christo Botes and Gerrie Horn (standing), with Peter Nupen behind the camera

Landela 2005
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
A SARCA moment.

Landela 2005
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
A pair of Paradise Flycatchers ringed early in the course. Having both birds at the same time was a treat.

Landela 2005
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
A Scaly-throated Honeyguide. A rare bird to have in the net. In 60 years of ringing only 121 are on record with 3 retraps.

Landela 2005
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
A Red-fronted Tinker-barbet. For many of us this was the first time to see this bird.

Landela 2005
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
A Dusky Flycatcher that was ringed.

Landela 2005
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
Numerous Green-backed Camaroptera were ringed during the course.

Landela 2005
Photo Peter Nupen
Our group at the Landela forest during a quiet spell.

Landela 2005
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
A Black bellied starling's eye before...

Landela 2005
Photo H.D. Oschadleus
...and after. The eye colour changes to red when the bird is stressed. Remarkably it took a while for the eye to change colour. The bird was "in hand" for at least 10 minutes before the eye changed colour.

The course yielded 275 birds of 46 species. Although there were relativey few birds caught, the number of species made up for it. For many of the trainees, it was the first time to handle some of these species.

SpeciesRingedRetrapped
Steppe Buzzard1 
Cape Turtle Dove1 
Red-eyed Dove1 
Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove2 
Olive Woodpecker 1
Redcollared Barbet2 
Redfronted Tinker Barbet1 
Lesser Honetguide3 
Sharpbilled Honeyguide1 
Scaleythroated Honeyguide1 
Redfaced Mousebird4 
African Hoopoe23
Brownhooded Kingfisher4 
Forktailed Drongo5 
Blackheaded Oriole222
Sombre Greenbul3 
Terrestial Brownbul2 
Olive Thrush31
Cape Robin Chat6 
Whitebrowed Scrub Robin1 
Cape Bulbul1 
Familiar Chat1 
Bar throated Apalis5 
Greenbacked Cameoptra61
Willow Warbler3 
Neddicky1 
Cape Batis61
Paradise Flycatcher32
Dusky Flycatcher41
Fiscal Flycatcher 1
Fiscal Shrike1 
Southern Boubou1 
Blackbacked Puffback42
Cape Wagtail 2
Blackbellied Starling22
Glossy Starling2 
Cape White-eye1426
Collared Sunbird73
Amethyst Sunbird4 
Lesser Double collared Sunbird4 
Greater Double collared Sunbird3 
Greyheaded Sparrow1 
Cape Weaver 4 
Forest Weaver43
Goldenbreasted Bunting21
Greater Striped Swallow 1
Total27533

We also managed to get a sighting of a pair of Narina Trogon on the farm!!

Acknowledgements
Thanks to Eugene & Renee Cooney for allowing the course to be held at Landela!