Brown Teal at Travis Wetland

[georgie]

Brown teal present in same spot at Travis this morning. Currently on the water in new pond. A couple of us here, keeping distance and hoping it’ll come ashore to feed

[wazzagonewild]

The brown teal was still around this evening. We watched it swim south past the bird hide where it remained out of view for the next 20 minutes.

A spotless crake was also calling by the new pond at dusk, for the second consecutive evening.

[Jan]

Hi guys, which is the new pond, please?

[benackerley]

Hey Jan, it’s the first pond you get to when you walk out towards the small bridge to your left as you walk in. It’s also an EBird hotspot.

[Jan]

Thanks, Ben

[andrewcrossland]

Hi team, did anyone manage to get more of the band number? Thanks

[benackerley]

No I think all we know is S-0674
Is it at least enough to find out what batch it was from?

[andrewcrossland]

it should be. I'll check with the Travis Rangers to see if those numbers match any of the combo?

The following info from Grahame Bell:
The Travis release was May 2007, so that would make them 17 plus however old at release. www.brownteal.com says max age in captivity is 21, wild is unknown."

The last sighting in my database is 15/8/2013 (1 bird), which is 6 years, 3 months after release. The Travis rangers may have a later record - I'll check.

[benackerley]

It could also be an escaped bird from one of the many breeding/holding sites around Chch.

[andrewcrossland]

yes, that's far more likely - there's at least 3 in CHCH (Peacock Springs, Orana Park and Willowbank) as well as a place in Ashburton.

Less likely is it flying in from further afield - elsewhere in the SI or from the NI? Do folks know where the next nearest captive or released/wild populations are? Is it Abel Tasman National Park and the Wellington area?