Banding Day in the Queen City

By this stage of the process, the Mellichamp's Black-chinned Hummingbird had yielded many of her "secrets". With a little luck, though, Susan was hopeful that a little more information could be gleaned from the hummingbird in the future. By marking the bird's head with a green spot, Susan made identification easier for other banders (or birders) who might see this bird during its future journeys.

Although it seems the number of winter hummingbirds are increasing in North Carolina, only a few are encountered after they leave their wintering sites. Will this Black-chinned Hummingbird return to the Mellichamps feeder next winter? Only time will tell for sure. (Next)