In the room one person is examining a bird and one is making notes. Their conversation sounds something like this: "Size Zero A, MAWA, 1 by 1, 5 by 6, wing 56, fat zero, moult 1, UpTC, UnTC, weight 8.7."

No, they are not secret agents; after a while these codes actually make some sense. Size 0A refers to the size of an aluminum band, determined by the size of the bird's leg; MAWA stands for Magnolia Warbler; 1 by 1 refers to the bird's age (after hatch year); 5 by 6 refers to the bird's sex (female by brood patch); etc. The examination is followed by taking samples of tail feathers for analysis of isotope signature to determine the breeding ground origin of these neotropical migrants. Each band has its own number, a four digit prefix and a five digit suffix which will identify where the bird was banded. The data on all the birds is sent to the banding office in Ottawa at the end of our banding season each year.

I am at the Mackenzie Nature Observatory and Bird Banding Station in northern BC. Vi and John Lambie greeted me warmly as a volunteer who came to work for a week at the station, joining their two full time banders.

Master bander Jukka Jantunen and his assistant Jillian Johnston show a great deal of patience and understanding. Jukka, who has been interested in birds from his early childhood on, never stops to amaze me with his knowledge of bird calls, bird behavior and anatomy. But the most remarkable people are the founders of the Mackenzie station, the Lambies. This retired couple started as volunteers with one tent, pitched in 1994 at Mugaha Marsh in the midst of the wilderness. They organized a few volunteers and started collecting data. A couple of years later they gained the support of Birds Studies Canada, raised funds and donations, and now Mackenzie Nature Observatory has banded over 32 thousand birds, collecting huge amounts of scientific data every year. A lifetime achievement.

How to get there
Driving north from Vancouver, I made one birding stop in the Cariboo, and then continued on to Mackenzie. The town was virtually carved out of the wilderness in the mid 1960's to service large pulp and lumber manufacturing facilities. A two-hour drive from Prince George, Mackenzie lies at the southern end of Williston Lake, the largest man-made reservoir in North America. The lake was formed as a result of the W.A.C. Bennett Dam, and stretches over 200 kilometers north from Mackenzie. Five minutes after passing town, and 15 minutes on a gravel road at a slow pace, passing the sign "Neotropic Migrant Songbird Survey Ahead", I am there - Mugaha Marsh. Both sides of the road are bordered by marshes which, as I discovered later, are constantly changing due to the movement of islands of green vegetation. A beautiful, tranquil location in the Rocky Mountain Trench.

Visitors to British Columbia have an option of arriving at Vancouver International Airport, and either rent a car taking a scenic route on the historic Gold Rush Trail through the Cariboo, with many great birding spots, or take a local flight from Vancouver to Prince George. A car rented from there will get you to Mackenzie in two hours. Be sure not to miss the junction and  turn on to Hwy 39 just past the Parsnip River bridge on Hwy 97.  You will find free maps, and friendly staff  at tourist information centers in Prince George, as well as Williams Lake,100 Mile House, and Vancouver.

Mugaha Marsh
Twelve mist nets are operated for 6 hours every morning, so by noon I was free to explore the area.

Learning experience
During those few days I learned that extent and timing of moult helps to identify a bird's age. Light stripes on the tips of the wings can indicate a young age. The juvenile feathers are weaker and thus may wear and fade at a faster rate. Plumage colour in some species is also related to age: the heads of White-crowned Sparrow adults are black and white, while their young are brown and beige. Fat is used as fuel for migratory flights and for maintenance during the cold winter months. I concluded that there is a lot to discover in this fascinating world of birds.

The top 10 species banded at Mugaha in 2006 were Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Pine Siskin, American Redstart, Northern Waterthrush, Dark-eyed Junco, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler  and Wilson's Warbler.

Mackenzie's Migration Monitoring Program is a joint project of Mackenzie Nature Observatory and the Canadian Wildlife Service (Delta, BC). The station operates daily from July 19 to September 23. Additional migration monitoring is carried out by volunteers who conduct visual surveys.

“We do need volunteers.” - says Vi. They come and go, as everybody tries to adjust their busy life schedules. No experience is necessary. “Everybody welcome”, she adds.

Despite 6 hours of work starting at dawn, it was the most rewarding experience, and most meaningful holidays I ever had. I promised the Lambies to come back next year, a promise I am sure to keep.

Accommodation and amenities
Besides beautiful scenery, the station has lots to offer. A large tent for sleeping, canoe, bicycles, full size fridge and microwave, coffee maker, kettle, and propane oven are some of them. A life time experience of holding and observing the birds in your hand is another.

In the nearby town (15 km) are free showers available at the municipal RV campground. You'll also find Chinese and Greek restaurants, a great bakery, hotels, motels, and bed and breakfasts.

Conclusion
With a drastic 44% drop in bird population in Europe and North America since the 1960s, mostly due to the loss of habitat, it won't be long before we start loosing even more species. That's why I felt so honored and privileged to hold this little Magnolia Warbler in my hand.

Mackenzie Nature Observatory website with contact info can be found at: www.bsc-eoc.org/national/mno.html