>A Simple Method for Removing Leg Bands. Paul Wedeking, Hannah Suthers,
>Jean Bickal. Pg 59. Use 2 5-inch haemostats.

This is an interesting article for those using butt-bands (this describes
the band, not the where one places the band on the victim!). We use
two small vise-grips to separate wrong-sized bands, though we mostly
use (and I encourage this technique!) training to avoid the need to
remove bands in the first place. Three years ago we had an OSU
researcher visiting who broke a sharpshinned hawk's tarsus removing
an overlapped band. Bad, bad on him and us. Our BS bander who
was very experienced bowed down to the MS student's "greater
experience" with bad results - we are big on discipline (upsetting
to some visiting banders) and wary of past experience for this and
other past incidents. Our fatality rate last year was 3 of 4650
banded (one of which was a red-tailed killing a sharpie), this year
we had one in our first 1600 banded (when the project began 15 years
ago, by neophytes, they banged 1/250 - ouch).

Part of me applauds any info one might find on removing mis-applied
bands. Part of me feels like there should be no need...keep 'em
off to start with.

>Hantavirus: Warning to Bird Banders. C. Stuart Houston. Pp 63-64. Dr
>Houston points out that banders working around prey remains of raptor
>nests, etc can come into contact with deer mice (Peromyscus spp) and
>other rodent remains, and thus expose themselves to this deadly virus.

Mountain from molehill??? While a worthwhile note, just how many folks
die from hantavirus? How about an article suggesting (indeed, insisting)
upon banders wearing seatbelts and shoulder belts enroute to their
banding site?

>Color Marking Hints. Frances Hamerstrom. Pg 64. Notes that blue
>anodized or celluloid bands are the "worst" color to use. (Color-
>blindness problems?)

Or dye fading?

- Don Baccus, Portland OR <donb at rational.com>