One caught my attention today. I am a wildlife biologist by academic training. The best job I ever had was as an Interpretive Naturalist at the Michigan Audubon Nature Center near where we now live. In fact DH and I met there. He by the way also has a degree in Wildlife Biology and has been fortunate enough to work in his field until retirement. A couple of years ago we were invited to observe a team banding a pair of Bald Eagle chicks. It was a real treat. I had never been that close to a Bald Eagle let alone touch one. The biologist directing the operation was a young woman. Here is a picture of a gal with the job of which I dreamed.
Back in "my day" the Department of Wildlife Biology was still a part of the College of Agriculture at MSU. There were not many women in the classes then. Those were men's jobs. Now there are as many or more women holding jobs in what was a man's world. The Director of Department of Natural Resources in our sate is a Woman now. She is the first woman to hold that position.Along with the Biologist there was a photographer and a climber. The photographer's job was self explanatory. The climber did just that. He dawned a pair of pole climbers spikes, harness and rope and climbed the live White Pine tree to about 75 feet above the ground and peeked over the edge of the nest. There is always a danger that the chicks might jump when they were frightened by the climber. He then captured the two chicks, one male and one female and stuffed them in sacks head first to be lowered to the ground.
There they were laid on their backs, weighed, measured, and blood samples taken before the bands were attached. They were about 2/3s grown and did not yet know the strength of their claws or beaks. Then they were put back in the bags and hauled up into the nest. During the entire operation which was carried out as quickly and quietly as possible the adults circled high above screaming their concern.
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