Dear Club Members,

An enthusiastic group of non-members participated in the ECOC outing to the bird banding station on Plum Island on Saturday, October 10th. It was a pleasant morning with little wind and clear skies. The skilled, banding crew and station manager from the Joppa Flats Education Center were welcoming. There were plenty of birds on each net run and in the bags for us to observe aging birds, sexing birds, taking wing cord measurements and to appreciate the weights of these migrants. Participants learned bird anatomy and observed the scientific methods for data collection. This visit afforded the group the opportunity to observe physical adaptations of birds up close and the patience required to extract birds from mist nets. We learned about migration strategies and geography.

Sincerely,
Sue

Sue McGrath
ECOC, President