I've banded the last two years outside of Port Alberni in some pretty nice settings, but this year I'm helping south island crews and my first site was at a charming bed and breakfast on Salt Spring Island.
We sat on a deck with a multi-million dollar view (really it's for sale) and tortured small birds.
Usually banding starts at first light but we caught the 11 a.m. ferry for a noonish start and took tea around three with home made brownies.
Very civilized.
The feeder was humming and we gathered data on nearly 40 birds, I believe. I learned many new techniques and feel like a more competent bander for it.
I have felt conflicted in the past, but with the latest state of the birds report saying that the rufous hummingbird (the only species we catch) populations have declined significantly, I think the information gathered justifies the chance of stressing a few birds.
So that was Saturday. Which, of course, leaves only Sunday for the osprey. But never fear, I believe some fantastical osprey adventures are to come and I may even be able to call them work.
1 comment:
It is amazing that you’re banding hummingbirds and can take such clear pictures of the constantly moving creatures. Hope to read more about how you do this in the near future.
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