Unusual banding day

We banded hummingbirds at one of our usual banding sites, the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute. The only thing that was unusual was the audience..... a summer camp of 4-6 year-olds.

While at first glance it may look like no one is paying attention, actually Master Bander, Kelly Bryan, has placed a hummingbird on a child's flat palm for them to release outside the roofed area. The adults are photographing the event, as Kelly prepares his next band. The hummer has been placed on its back and often will lie on the hand until it is gently rolled over. Then it takes off faster than the eye can see.  Luckily, we caught enough hummers so each child got a turn. They can feel that little heart beat at 1000 times per minute. (At second glance maybe not everyone is paying attention.)