Banding March birds at Hazel Run

[hazelrunpack]

I just realized I never posted the pics of the banding session we had here at the end of March. Thought it might interest those of you who'd never seen it done.

As a fundraiser at a local nature center (Beaver Creek Reserve out of Fall Creek), the bird banding crew auctioned off a session at a private residence. Winner got to choose the date and location for the banding. hazel had the high bid!

Although the Main Event was to be in May, the crew came out at the end of March for a trial run. The hundreds of goldfinches we were hosting at the time didn't cooperate, but it was useful as a way to figure out net placement and where to set up the recording station for the Main Event.

The mist nets were strung outside the fence in close proximity to the feeders. We have an exposed basement, so we set up tables in the basement, an easy 50-ft walk to the nets and feeders.



Every bander has a preferred tool used as an aid in removing birds from mist nets. Karen, for example, used crochet hooks! In the background you can see the strings of bands set up according to size. Bird species are grouped by size and each has a particular size of band that is used.

If looks could kill, this black-capped chickadee would have had us dead and buried.



About to leave, unscathed and with some new jewelry: