I've been abducted by aliens

"Mum, I've been abducted by aliens, I was just standing there when something gripped me from behind and I was thrust into a large white bag and transported to another place. Here, a hand came into the bag and holding me from behind dragged me out into the light and a shackle placed around my leg, I was also measured and weighed. They must have thought that I wasn't worth keeping for after a while they threw me into the air and I quickly flew home. Phew, it was a close thing!"

This juvenile green woodpecker was caught and ringed by a Wildlife Trust Reserves Officer during the volunteers conservation day at Storton's Pits last week.

Bird ringing or bird banding is a technique used in the study of wild birds, by attaching a small, individually numbered, metal or plastic tag to their legs or wings, so that various aspects of the bird's life can be studied by the ability to re-find the same individual later. This can include migration, longevity, mortality, population studies, territoriality, feeding behaviour, and other aspects that are studied by ornithologists. Wikipedia