A Ruby-throated hummingbird sort of day

Before Kelly started this banding project, sightings of Ruby-throated hummingbirds were considered to be a rarity in the Big Bend area. He has pretty well documented, and established, that they migrate through here in late summer in impressive numbers. In one day alone in September of 2009 he banded 32 of them.* Now, today he surpassed that number. It's exciting to be a part of this learning process. And that is just one tiny part of what is being learned. Here he is today with a visiting bander (Brainard Palmer-Bell) trying to keep up with the quantity of hummers I was trapping. The hummers are hanging in bags waiting for their turn to get banded.

Here's an article about Kelly that appeared in this month's issue of Ranch and Rural Living, published by our Rio Grande Elect Co-op.

And last night's super-moon.

* To date he has banded approximately 500 Ruby-throats during the course of this project in the Big Bend.