Phase One is Done!

This past week I officially completed Phase I of my internship!! So, to celebrate, all of us interns (and significant others) went out for "drinks"...and by drinks I mean I ate a deep-dish pizza... Either way, it was great to blow off steam and be thankful for completion of phase one!
After dinner, Jarred and I went down to visit my grandparents! I just love them to pieces!! But they have been telling us about a thing they have done several times and they always wanted us to go with them. So, their Son Shiners group from church was going on Saturday and we gladly took the invite to join them. We went Hummingbird Banding!
What happens is this - there is a place where they catch hummingbirds using a remote-controlled net to trap them and then catch them with their hands. From there, a biologist checks out the hummingbirds fat stores, feathers, skin, etc. After all the data has been collected, they place a small band on their leg so that they can track the birds. After the band is placed, you get to hold the hummingbird, until it gets over the shock of being caught, and let it fly away from your hand.

Little hummingbird in a cage

Jarred and I got to transport them from the big trap to the biologist for her to study them

My little bird was very excited to fly away so she held him there for a while

It was sunny and I thought it was going to jack me in the face

He was flapping his wings all over the place

I could feel his little feet running like mad trying to escape!!

Interesting tid-bit about hummingbirds:

• They have translucent skin so you can see their food bolus as it goes down
• They can travel up to 300 miles in a day
• The ladies weigh about 3 grams which is the same as a penny - the gents are smaller