This is the hummingbird trap. Volunteers stand about 10 feet back. The trap door is held up with fishing line, and then let the door down when a bird enters. Then they reach in and gently grab the bird and put it in a net bag so the bird can wait its turn for meeting bander Fred Hound.
The bag needs to be drawn tight at the top, or these birds will wiggle out. We saw one make an escape that way.
After Fred bands, weighs and measures the birds, he treats them to dinner. He said first-year birds rarely take a drink when offered, but older birds always slurp up free food - and it was true! This is a mature black-chinned hummingbird.
At the home where the banding took place, there were not only a lot of feeders, but a lot of plants popular with hummingbirds. This is an agastache with a black-chinned hummingbird at it. The banding takes place every year and we'll be there again!
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