Birding Festival

Two kindergartners and one second grader were able to attend the birding festival on Saturday morning.  The weather was beautiful and we saw many birds, however only one bird was caught in the net to be banded.  After a few hours, we left and then he caught 8 more birds.  On Sunday morning he couldn't keep up with 20 birds in the net and only myself and another couple their to see them.  It had rained a bit that night, so there was a "fallout" of birds.  The birds take a break from their migration to settle into the trees and bushes.  Bird banding is one of my favorite things to watch.  I love seeing the birds up close and it is so fun to hold them!

If you ever find a dead bird with a metal band on its leg, please record the number and then search on the internet, "I found a banded bird." You will be instructed on how to contact the "Bird Banding Laboratory".  Sending in the band #  will help scientist determine the bird's range and other information that is valuable.  In this way, you will be helping with citizen science!

Here is an article about the birding festival with some amazing photos of Yellow Warblers.  You will notice that my camera and I are mentioned towards the end of the article.  Click here to read about the SD Birding Festival or you can click here to see the same article with larger images.

Dr. Swanson is at the mist net getting 
the bird.

Being close to a bird and touching it helps a child feel 
a connection them.

This is a Song Sparrow.

He is checking to see how much fat the bird has.  If it 
has plenty of fat visible that means it will be migrating soon.

He is measuring the birds wing.  All of this is data 
that is recorded into a book. 

This is her first time to hold a bird!

He is checking out the ducks at pond.

A Yellow-rumped Warbler that was banded on Sunday.