Bird Banding

My son has a new hobby. I have to admit, seeing captured birds in mesh bags, hanging on a clothesline awaiting their turn to have a band affixed to their leg...well, I found it comical. I'm sure the birds didn't, particularly the cardinal-he was really displeased with the whole operation.

Me? I'm from the city, you might toss bread to a pigeon, but holding a bird close enough to listen to the heartbeat...I just wouldn't do that. Danny set a red bellied woodpecker free last weekend after banding, and watched it sail off knowing it would probably be back to get banded again in a couple weeks. Some birds never learn not to fly into the net. I watch, but you couldn't pay me to handle those birds. It was bad enough cleaning the budgie's cage as a kid. I like birds-outdoors.

For a while anyway, our Saturday mornings are booked.