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My grandson Ethan has been going bird banding. The write up below is by his father Eddie, my son-in-law and master birder. This is my grandson's second trip and this trip he asked a lot of questions like how do you safely hold a bird and what can I do and others? Ethan is being taught to do the things he can do now and also shown what he can do as he matures.
Yes, I am bragging
We have been going out with Charlie Muise. He is the Important Bird Area Coordinator for Ga. The IBA program is run by the National Audubon Society to identify and protect critical bird habitats throughout the country. The area we have been banding in are fields on the backside of Panola Mt. State Park. Ethan has done most of the aspects of banding except for extracting the birds from the net and the actual banding. He will have to wait a while to be able to extract the birds until his dexterity improves and the bander has to have a federal permit so he will have to wait until he is at least 18 for that. He has helped, though, setup/breakdown nets, transport the birds to the banding station, check the nets, and log in the data collected.
Generally, we catch mostly common varieties of sparrows but we got two unusual birds this outing. One was a Lincoln Sparrow, which is fairly rare in GA. The other was a Bluebird. While not rare, they are rare to catch. Bluebirds like to sit on net poles and on top of the nets instead of getting in the net.
Update: May 3, 2009
2009 YOUTH BIRDING COMPETITION RESULTS
The team is Ethan Hatchett, C.J. Armour and Daven Hayes, one of only a few girls entered, and the counted 65 species in central Georgia. This is Ethan's third year and the other members first year. They did well. Each year Ethan's team has found more species than the previous year.
Ethan's dad and team mentor said next year the team will start on the Georgia SeaCoast in the morning and then do Central Georgia in the afternoon before the banquet in the evening.
Yes, I am bragging
We have been going out with Charlie Muise. He is the Important Bird Area Coordinator for Ga. The IBA program is run by the National Audubon Society to identify and protect critical bird habitats throughout the country. The area we have been banding in are fields on the backside of Panola Mt. State Park. Ethan has done most of the aspects of banding except for extracting the birds from the net and the actual banding. He will have to wait a while to be able to extract the birds until his dexterity improves and the bander has to have a federal permit so he will have to wait until he is at least 18 for that. He has helped, though, setup/breakdown nets, transport the birds to the banding station, check the nets, and log in the data collected.
Generally, we catch mostly common varieties of sparrows but we got two unusual birds this outing. One was a Lincoln Sparrow, which is fairly rare in GA. The other was a Bluebird. While not rare, they are rare to catch. Bluebirds like to sit on net poles and on top of the nets instead of getting in the net.
Update: May 3, 2009
2009 YOUTH BIRDING COMPETITION RESULTS
The team is Ethan Hatchett, C.J. Armour and Daven Hayes, one of only a few girls entered, and the counted 65 species in central Georgia. This is Ethan's third year and the other members first year. They did well. Each year Ethan's team has found more species than the previous year.
Ethan's dad and team mentor said next year the team will start on the Georgia SeaCoast in the morning and then do Central Georgia in the afternoon before the banquet in the evening.
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