At the end of Term 1, I, along with my volunteer, Tim Bacon (2020 Glenaeon graduate) headed out to a stunning property north-west of the Warrumbungle National Park for our first-ever bird banding trip under our expanded bird research project! This property also happens to be where we run Year 8 and Year 12 Outdoor Education programs.

This exciting trip coincided with the Year 12 solo program, giving students the unique opportunity to observe real fieldwork in action. It was a fantastic way to bring science to life, seeing how we gently capture, measure, and band wild birds before safely releasing them back into the bush. Over four days, we banded an incredible 186 birds across 37 species. We worked at two very different sites: a cool, lush gully and a dry, sunny ridgeline. It quickly became clear how important it is to protect both types of habitat. The gully was a haven for small insect-eaters like fairywrens, while the ridges were buzzing with honeyeaters drawn to the flowering eucalypts.

A huge thank you to Eric and Elise Butler for generously allowing us to run this project on their property. Thanks also to our wonderful volunteers: Tim, along with KG and Elise, whose support and enthusiasm made the trip such a success. This pilot study has given us a great foundation to build on. By returning each year in different seasons, we’ll be able to track changes over time, help support local birdlife, and provide more hands-on learning experiences for our students.

The Warrumbungles has already proven itself to be a special place for birds and for budding scientists too! Stay tuned for more updates from the field as our project grows! Enjoy some photos of the birds we captured. Also, a link here to a scientific report for those who wish to read about the initial findings.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Dr Stanley Tang
Director of Studies, Head of Science and Year 9 Guardian