And I got proof!
I visited two banding operations this year, for hummingbirds and saw-whet owls. The hope of these banders is that the birds will be found. And by being found shed some light on the lives of these creatures.
I found a couple of birds.
I know these as Tundra Swans, but the certificate below calls them "Whistling Swan". I don't know who came up with that name, but these birds don't whistle. They bark. Sounds like a pack of dogs from a distance.
The well dressed bird in the image above was visiting the North Slope of Alaska when it was banded (on my birthday!).
The bird with the gold choker is a Greater Snow Goose. Until I got the certificate I didn't know there were greater and lesser snow geese. My something new for the day.
This bird spends its summers in Canada. And winters in New Jersey.
You can get your own fancy certificate, suitable for blogging, in just two easy steps. First find a bird with a band. Second, go here and enter the band number. It's just that easy. Good luck!
6 comments:
I guess the two certificates make you a "Greater Migratory Bird Snapper" Commonly called a Joisey Duck! Good One Guy!
That's cool! I never knew about the certificates. I think we have some of the greater (or lesser) snow geese visit Vermont on their way to see you. I don't know much about birding, but I've heard that Lake Champlain is a fly-way, and I've definitely seen my share of thousands of Canadian geese and a few of the snow geese in the fall in what we call the Champlain Valley.
Lene (sorry, not on my Mac, so I don't know where the accents are)and anyone else who is interested in birding in VT:
You will want to look up Ted Murin (co-author of Birds of Vermont) if you want to learn about birding and the Lake Champlain fly-way. He'll be the maniacally grinning one standing on the edge of lake with the astronomical telescope (looks like a white bucket set on its side on a tripod) when it is 20 below and the winds are howling at 50mph... Tell him a little Wren from Cape May sent you.
Hmm ... Lené, Wren I'm thinking road trip!
(Ron, you can come too, but it's a long way from Oz!).
:-)
Yes! :)
MevetS, saw your post before Wren's.
Wren, Thanks for the suggestion. I have Bryan Pfieffer's book, Birding in Vermont, which is a great resource too.
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