Photos by Sandra Michaud
Hummingbird Festival 073016
Hummingbird Festival 073016
Bill Talbot examines the first hummingbird.
Hummingbird Festival 073016
Volunteer Jason Kitting holds two more birds he has just removed from the capture cage.
Hummingbird Festival 073016
Bill Talbot and Beth Hurst-Waitz prepare to start measuring.-?`^
Hummingbird Festival 073016
Measuring the tail, length and the tiny beak while the hummingbird is wrapped in the cloth.Hummingbird Festival 073016
Measuring body fat.
Hummingbird Festival 073016
Weighing the hummingbird.
Hummingbird Festival 073016
Bill Talbot holds the hummingbird in a beam of sunlight so watchers can see the brilliant gold of its throat feathers.
Hummingbird Festival 073016
Bill Talbot gently hands the bird to Rylee Reyas as Ellena Bertolani watches.
Hummingbird Festival 073016
Rylee looks at the bird resting in her hand.
Hummingbird Festival 073016
Watching the next hummingbird being processed.
Hummingbird Festival 073016
This little guy decides not to go into the trap. There is a feeder inside to lure the tiny birds.
Hummingbird Festival 073016
Beth Hurst-Waitz and Jessica Allen move the trap to a new location.
Hummingbird Festival 073016
Measuring the tail.
Hummingbird Festival 073016
Measuring the beak.
Hummingbird Festival 073016
Jessica Allen blows gently on the hummingbirdG??s tummy so they can see under the feathers. This lets them learn how much body fat the bird has.
Hummingbird Festival 073016
Lucas Saucedo gets to release this little guy.
Hummingbird Festival 073016
A volunteer shows Lucas and Lily Saucedo and dad Isaac the next bird to be taken to the measuring area.
Hummingbird Festival 073016
After all the banding is finished, Bill Talbot tells an interested audience about hummingbird research.
Last weekend people from the area and outside the region attended the Hummingbird Festival at Little Toad Creek Inn. They watched and took pictures as volunteers captured the delicate little birds, took measurements, weighed and then banded and released them.
The birds are captured by luring them into a cage with a feeder inside of it. They are then put into soft carrying cages and taken to the banding area, where they are gently wrapped in a soft cloth, which covers their eyes and calms them. The volunteers then measure their length; tails, beaks and body fat, and weigh them. Then they are carefully banded on their legs. They are then given a GǣsnackGǥ and gently given to one of the volunteers to set free.
During the remainder of the day, people could attend various conferences and seminars, or they could just sit and enjoy the hummingbirds.