The Ornithologist by Margot Inglis

This is Margot's picture story on the ornithologist.

Here are the nets to catch the birds. They are made especially so the birds don't get hurt.

Here is a bird stuck in the net. He is not hurt, he is just tangled.

The ornithologist is someone who studies birds. He has got the bird out of the net.

Here we are looking for the name of the bird. He is called a collared sunbird. Can you find him on your bird book?

This is the collared sunbird. Can you see his collar?

This is a calliper. It is used for measuring the bird's head and beak.

Now the ornithologist is measuring the sunbird's head. Then, he will write it in his book.

Now he is measuring the bird's beak. Some birds don't like their beaks measured.

Now he is measuring the bird's tail feathers. My sister and I are very interested.

This is where he writes all his information.

This bird is called a spectacle weaver bird. He has a mask on.

He is writing about the weaver bird.

Now he is counting how many feathers the bird has. How many can you count?

These feathers are hard to count. They are so many!

Finally, he checks if it is a male or a female. If it has a red stomach it is a female.

This is Margot's writing story on the ornithologist.

18/10/10 The ornithologist
Yesterday at Kosi Bay there was an ornithologist. An ornithologist is someone who studies birds. He had put up some nets to catch the birds. They were very big and spread over most of the camp.
When a bird got caught in a net, he would rush over with his smal sack and put the bird in so he wouldn't fly away. Then he weighed the bird in the sac. Next he got the bird out and held it's head between his index finger and his middle finger and the body in his palm. Then he measured the head, the beak, how many feathers on the wing,the size of the wing and the size of the tail. Then he got a ring and put it round the bird's foot. There was a special code on every ring.
One of the birds I remember was a spectacled weaver bird who made a noise like "tee-tee-tee-tee-te-te-te-te".
I might also be an ornithologist when I am older too. It looks fun!