Birds in Hand, Manomet Bird Observatory, Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Senior Staff Scientist Trevor Lloyd-Evans discusses the habits and lives of birds.  He has administered the bird banding program at the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences for roughly 40 years. The Center's contribution to worldwide data on bird migration has helped us gain a better understanding of migratory patterns and changes in species populations over the years. He is shown above with a gray catbird in hand discussing the banding program for visiting photographers from the Plymouth Digital Photographers Club. The birds are briefly trapped in mist nests located on the 40-acre property, data about each bird is entered into a database, each is banded with a small identifying bracelet, and then promptly released back to the wild.

He does not appear happy to be a captive and squawks loudly at his captor.

Given the opportunity to fly away, he wastes no time.

A photographer moves in for a close-up of another banded species.

Given the opportunity to fly away, this one sits motionless for a few seconds.......

.....and then off he goes in a blur of wingbeats.