Fog, settling in the air all around.
Fog, covering the earth like a blanket on the ground.
Where did you come from?
Why are you here?
You feel so misty.
The air's unclear.
~EDWINA REIZER
The afternoon of the bird banding we stopped at a nature trail in NAS Pensacola. The weather had been iffy all day, but as we walked along the boardwalk, the fog rolled in. Misty at first, it came in off the water thicker and wetter while we were there. It was a little eerie to hear the surf and boat traffic and not be able to see anything. The trees became shrouded in a ghostly covering, lending a beauty not seen in the sunshine.
How do you band the birds? I seem to remember seeing a documentary on that once, and I believe it's quite involved.
ReplyDeleteTell us more - it's the beginning of a tale???
ReplyDeleteNets are set up in the woods. The migrating birds fly into the nets (the nets are soft and give--no birds are harmed). The birds are then collected, measured, identified, weighed and entered into a data base. Finally, a small band is attached to its leg. All painless and done by people who know exactly how to hold and calm the birds. Shortly after the banding, the bird is then released back into the wild. Each banding probably takes about 20 minutes. Some longer if ID is unclear.
ReplyDeleteThose birds a couple of posts earlier are just stunning. So then is there a tracking chip in the band?
ReplyDelete